The Painting In The Attic: The War Of The Gods
by Athena93
Summary: I should have known. I really should have. After all, there had to be some kind of consequence for going to hell and rescuing Will. There had to be some kind of consequence for saving Balder. I should have known.  Sequel to The Painting In The Attic
1. Prelude

TO ALL IT MAY CONCERN:

Do not read this.

Don't.

Don't even try.

I know I started it.

I know it was me that wanted to tell you the story in the first place- but don't listen to me anymore.

Don't read this.

Don't.

Don't, unless you're an idiot, a moron, a fucking fool.

Don't dive in.

Don't even blink.

What, you think you can handle it?

You think that just because you understood the story so far…

What?

You think you can do this?

Well, you can't.

You can't handle it.

This is too much.

This is just too much.

I have no choice; this is my story, my decision and I must go on.

I went into the painting, and I can't go back.

What?

You think you've seen it all?

You think-

Sirens.

Of course.

You already read about the sirens.

About Metus.

Rygor.

Balder.

So?

So what?

That was child's play.

All child's play.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Nothing compared to what is to come.

Nothing compared to the rest of tale.

Trust me.

You're not brave enough.

No one is.

Hell, not even I am.

And how can I?

How-

Well…

I've killed a siren.

I've wagered with a daemon.

I've stabbed the heart of wretched dragon.

I've rescued a reincarnated god.

I've watched the man I love die.

And now….

Now, I'm saving him.

I'm in hell.

The Underworld.

So yes, maybe I'm brave enough-

But no.

Not you.

Not you at all.

You have no idea what's coming.

You have no idea where you're going.

Take a step, and you fall.

And you fall.

And you fall, and you fall, and fall.

Fall, fall, fall.

Fall, with no end.

Fall, into the dark.

One more step, one more word, and it will take you.

It will consume you.

No.

No.

Don't be stupid.

You can't handle it.

You can't handle what is to come.

Don't read on.

Don't.

Please.

Don't try.

Don't even blink.

You can't do it.

You can't take it.

You're not strong enough.

But me?

What choice do I have?

I walked through the painting.

I fell to my death.

And now, I'm rescuing him from hell.

What do you expect?

I'm Joey Wolfe, after all.


	2. Black Ice

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has been said before…just my OCs.**

**Hey guys! I'm back! **

**I know it's only been two months, but I really couldn't keep away. My plan for my original work has been pushed away again, mainly because I don't think I have the experience to write it yet. **

**Nonetheless, here we are again. For those of you who have no idea who I am and what this fic is, please check out "The Painting In The Attic" before reading this. Also, if you can't remember what happened last, please do the same and check that out before reading this.**

**Anyhow, here we go again!**

**Chapter 1: Black Ice**

It was dark.

Too dark.

Before me, the black corridor stretched on, wide and deep, the throat of some shadowy beast descending away into blackness, still, silent black; the floor was marble, cold, pale marble but the walls and ceilings arched dark, climbing turrets of smooth, black rock, carved perfectly, sensuously. Black swirled and twirled, up into the night, walls melting into curving hollows, so smooth, so far, a flawless, endless gullet of black glaring down onto the moon-pale marble. Walls stretched, like liquid black, untouched, unmolested by nothing but the doors; simple doors, black doors, mere dark, shadowy doorways, black wood that seemed to blend effortlessly into the rock. They were everywhere, on both sides of the wide hallway, equally placed, perfect symmetry, their porticos simplistic and slim, a completely flawless design. Shadows leaped about the wood, prancing from door to door, avoiding the smooth, perfect black rock, as if the plague; in between the few doors, a pair at each turn, firelight glowed up above, in black torches, spitting, licking, flickering gleams of amber burning softly in another world. They were soft, too soft, fiery flames blazing, glowing, their gentle light glimmering against the pale floor, their shadows leaping like dark dancers in the milky moonlight. Ashes spat, and air hissed, oh so softly, the few fires glowing in unison, kicking alive-

But it did little against the dark.

Against the black rock.

Against the cold.

_Asshole._

Beneath me, my footsteps were quiet, soft, hollow, ringing gently through the hollowed hallway, pats of metal on marble echoing down the darkness; there was no other sound but that, nothing but the dim of my footsteps, low thumps up into the arching black, soft as the fires, forgotten as wind. Nothing else moved, no other sound, nothing but the spitting of the flames, soft as they were, the tune of this dark, dark world. My robes rustled, just a little, brushing against my skin, against my bare neck, the rough cloth like straw grazing through the wind; the belt strapped at my waist jiggled a little, shifting with each padded step, the gleaming gold of the hook bouncing soundlessly against the black cloth, blazing with the soft ambers of the flames. The train of the black robe slapped behind, against the moonlight marble, a shifting, black tail following silently through the gloom, far too long for my legs. Black sleeves slapped noiselessly around my wrists, loose and free, dark as above.

My breath came out in a foggy puff.

Sparrow's beads laughed in my ear.

_Asshole._

_Stupid, good for nothing ass-_

A door slammed.

I froze.

_Fuck._

The sound was clear, loud, booming down the black hallway, echoing up into those smooth, curved arches like a slap of light in the dark, so sudden, so very loud.

I couldn't help it.

I froze.

I completely froze.

My feet stopped moving, my robes stopped swishing and my breath caught in my throat, squeezed away in my lungs, fingers frozen solid at my sides as I stared down that black hallway, mouth dry, heart screaming-

And a figure slowly emerged from the shadows, walking softly, gently, gliding down the black hallway, pulling away from the abyss; the firelight caught its edge as it slithered forward, its gold belt hook gleaming like a diamond against its chest. It made no sound, no sound at all as it glided forward, against the pale floor, walking between the lights, walking towards me; it was robed too, black robed, from head to toe, its body hidden away in the folds of the black rough cloth. In the dim, its face was veiled, secreted, buried by the darkness that pushed it forward like a black, black hand-

But I didn't need to see its face to know what it was.

Not ever again.

_Daemon._

Without another word, I began to move again, screaming at my muscles to work, shaking my fingers away, shedding the icy paralysis to walk forward, down the monster's throat; each step was so heavy, so very heavy, the robe dragging down my skin as I pulled my stare away from the approaching black figure to the cold marble floor, trying to forget the world. Cold chilled, right to the bone, my mouth dry as hell as I walked on, focusing on the soft, hollow thumps of my footsteps, trying, desperately trying to blend into the dark, to be forgotten, to be unseen-

But my heart wailed and screamed, begging for attention, begging to be heard-

_Not now._

_Not today._

It moved without a sound.

_Not this close._

The fires flickered as it slithered by, silent and cold, a dim figure in the dark, dark world, hushed like a ghost; as it neared, moving mutely, my footsteps like alarms in my head, my hand reached up and tugged at my hood, pulling it down even more, shielding my face. The hood was already down, a black drape across my shoulders and over my head-

But I had to make sure it couldn't see me.

It can't see me at all.

_Not now._

_Not today._

My heart moaned.

_Not this close._

I looked at my feet.

For the next few seconds, it was all I saw; my metal boots padding down the marble floor, firelight gleaming against its rusted, crunchy edges, shadows dancing like marionettes against the cold, cold white world, my breath a distant white fog between my lips as my heart hammered, rushing in my head, rushing in the black-

And then, I looked up.

Just a bit.

It was walking by me, silent, cold, a shadow, slithering through the dark, blending right into the black rock, outlined by the faint, soft fires above. There was nothing to it, nothing but a black robe walking wordlessly in the abyss, soundless, silent, all dark and cold and black-

Except for its hands.

It's skeleton hands.

_Oh God._

It was only a look, a simple second, but I turned away, fast, furious, the gasp choking out of my throat in wispy white, the icy cold strangling me as I turned back to my walking boots, brain screaming, heart thumping. I couldn't help it; I shivered, my spine tingling as I walked on, boots picking up pace, threatening to run and blow it, my heart banging and rattling against its iron bars as the image, the simple, quick image flashed in my mind over and over again…

_Skeleton hands._

I swallowed a sob.

_Oh God._

Beneath me, my legs to give way, to give in to the adrenaline, the basic instinct, to throw it all away and run for my life, run as far, far away as I could possibly get-

_Not now._

_Not today._

I clenched my fist.

_Not this close._

With a sharp breath of icy air, I turned my head slightly, over my shoulder, black hood flapping against my head as I turned for one last look, just to make sure that I hadn't dreamt it all-

It was gone.

The daemon was gone.

Completely gone.

_Oh God._

It was as if the thing, the robed creature, the daemon hadn't even been there; I had seen it pass me, moving slowly, silently, a black figure in a black world, barely discernible-

But it was no longer there.

Not a trace.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Nothing but the same hallway, the black hallway, the hollow, smooth black ceiling, the silent doors, the pale marble floor and the soft fires burning in their torches, snug against the cold.

Nothing but the darkness.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

_Fuck._

I ran into the darkness.

**8888888888888888**

There was nothing special about it.

Nothing at all.

It was just a door, one of the black doors, a chasm of darkness in the smooth, polished rock, set in a perfect, symmetrical shape; it stood with decorations, without embellishments, a simple, flat door, black wood climbing without a flaw. Its archway was simple as well, fine and smooth, ridges of black carved into the dark rock without a single scratch, curving over the top of the door like claws reaching down to swipe at passers' heads. It's bolts were black, as black as the door, metal blending into wood with perfect, simple craftsmanship; the knob was gold, solid, gleaming gold, glowing darkly down by the side, barely discernible in the faint, flickering light. Shadows marched up and down, a rectangular hollow of night.

It seemed to merge right into the black rock.

No.

Nothing special at all.

_Nothing but the sliver of light below._

It was there, a simple sleeve of amber light seeping through the crack beneath the door, dancing gold upon the pale marble, flickering like the glow of stars; it glowed upon the edge of my boots, soft and gentle, warm like a forgotten dream, a better place, a better world. Nothing moved, no shadows, no patches of dark through the slim gold-

_And thank god for that too._

_Thank god._

With a soft sigh, I brought up my hands and wrapped them around my body, loose black sleeves rustling, nails biting down into the thick, black fabric; it was still cold, so, so cold, a chilling, dead cold, and even beneath the thick black robes, my bones felt chilled, iced, blood moving like sludge through my veins. My toes ached, my breath foggy and cold, spilling out in a mist of ice, my lips dry and tattered, my mouth like sawdust-

But I couldn't complain.

Not a word.

_Not now._

_Not today._

I pulled my hood even more.

_Not this close._

Behind me, the hallway was as empty as usual, pale marble glowing like captured moonlight, black rock like the endless darkness, rectangular doorways marching on either sides, silent and cold, not a word, not a breath; the nearest lights came from three doors down, one on each walls, flickering, spitting warm flames reaching up to the black arches, pathetic in the icy dark. Tongues of amber licked against the ashen floor, like fire upon snow, the hissing of ashes and flames like loud bells in a clear, crystal night. Robes rustled against marble, rough against creamy smooth.

Nothing else moved.

_Not this close._

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the black door, at the plain, slate of wood, listening, breathing, cold fog slithering out into the darkness as my heart hammered away, jumping up my throat, the black pressing in, slithering in, suffocating, choking, strangling me away as ice bit into my screaming heart-

_No._

_Not this close._

_Don't give up now._

_Not after all this weeks._

_Not now._

_Not this close._

"Not this close," it came out as whisper, but in the dark, in the icy hallway, it sounded like a shout, a breathy echo vibrating up to the hollow black ceiling, ringing like a song, so very dark, so very clear. Pinpricks shot up my spine as those words ricocheted down the darkness, bouncing from walls to walls, an eerie, nameless whisper murmuring through the black as I stared down the mouth of the monster, into the empty black, waiting for something to hear me, to come for me, to tear out of the darkness and rip me to pieces, claws ragged and bloody-

_Not this close._

My breath was like a foggy dream.

For the most dreadful of seconds, I just stared, waiting, frozen, my heart banging and banging and banging…

And then, I turned back to the door, took in a sharp icy breath and took a step back, looking down towards the marble; the doors were all about a meter apart on this wall, but each all the same, black, solid wood marching down in an endless sweep of gloom. They were identical, the one on the right, and the one on the left-

Only, unlike the one before me, there was no light beneath the door.

It was just darkness, total, complete darkness, and for a second, for just a flash of second, I wanted to open one, just to make sure, just to see. After all, the flames inside could have been doused, or blown off, and I could been just walking into another door, the wrong door-

_**Don't even think about it, me dame.**_

It came as a jolt, a fiery, golden jolt, a flash, a stab in my brain, warmth in a cold, cold world; I jumped, helplessly, my breath caught cold in my chest as the voice whispered in my ear, adrenaline racing hot and brilliant-

And then, I frowned.

"Get out of head, idiot," I hissed, violently, snarling, looking up to the black ceiling, as he would really be there, as if he was actually watching me-

Even though I knew he wasn't.

Even though I knew exactly where he was.

_How else was I supposed to answer then?_

_How was I supposed to answer a god whispering in my head?_

My fingers were frozen.

With a whispery, foggy sigh, I shook my head of his whispery words and turned back down, towards the door before me, towards the simple slate of black wood and the untouched golden light seeping from beneath; the world was empty, cold and alone, dark and silent, and though his words echoed in my mind, he wasn't here, not at all-

Because I was alone.

I was completely alone.

And I was close.

I was here.

_Not this close._

I grabbed the golden doorknob and pushed it open.

Light spilled out, hot and furious and for a moment, all I could see was white, blinding, brilliant white, my eyes squeezing shut as the glow pushed over me, swallowing me, consuming me, amber flooding, smiting away the icy chill-

And then, with a few slow blinks, the world began to pull back to normal, the colour fading back in, the whiteness dissipating away, like fog on a growing morning, my eyes slowly adjusting to the sudden burst of light; as the world painted itself back, black and gold, a room began to fill up the lightened space, a bright, golden room beyond the edge of the black door. It was so different from the hallway, so very bright, so very clear, eyes blinking, waiting for it to melt away into another dream-

But it wasn't dream.

It was there.

It was real.

Beyond the black, faceless door was a long room, a long, golden room, ceiling domed above in an arch of rustic stone; it was rough stone, coarse, tough gravel of walls and floors and ceiling, all tinted a sweeping gold, painted a wild amber. There were no black rocks, no smooth black ceiling, no absolute darkness; it was as if the whole entire world had suddenly been painted over, all colour draining away, leaving nothing but the shivering cast of gold and amber, bright and brilliant, so very beautiful. Up above, the ceiling wasn't too high, and from its domed centre, glowing like the sun, was a giant black chandelier, its edges whipped with little flames, all bright and merry. It swung low, precariously, dangerously, a majestic Gothic artwork taking full centre in the long room. Little fires danced like puppets caught in strings.

Shadows leaped about the golden-cast cobblestone.

It was a long room, if anything, narrow at best, the two opposing walls but a few meters apart; on the right wall, upon the amber-danced rock, tall black windows arched, Gothic and gloomy, tall spires of twisty black rock sitting side by side, glass clear as day. They were an ancient sort, an old kind of art, all little gargoyles and twisted faces, light dancing upon small carved eerie eyes, shadows on perfect black. It was gruesome, to say the least, creepy eyes watching from the other side of the room, never blinking, black as death; between the swirling black frames, the glass panes were clear, crystal flat, showing the world outside-

Which wasn't any better than here.

Snow, white, icy snow, battered against the clear panes, whipping across the dark and even from this distance, through the reflections of light and shadows, I could it all; the white, blinding snow, the sparring, twisted mountains, the flat, black lands, the dark silence…

The Underworld.

I had a perfect view of the Underworld.

_Hell._

Before me, sitting in the middle of the room, right below the large hanging black chandelier was a long, narrow table, a slice of black in a golden world; it was slim, a simple black table, the same black rock as the walls outside, curved smoothly, elegantly, hauntingly. It was surrounded by high-backed chairs, all around, symmetrical designs, tall, elegant thrones sitting silently, as if waiting for guests. They were like the windows; twisted spires and morbid faces, gargoyles perched at the top, monsters creeping along the edges. It was the same black rock too, perfect, smooth, completely untouched by light as the lidless monsters swam through the liquid black, teeth and claws ragged and bloody. Eyes stared back, raw and foul.

The chandelier rocked leaping shadows against the dark, snow-whipped panes.

Fire hissed.

_Not this close._

For a moment, I just stood there, staring into the golden-cast room; then, with a soft gulp, I threw a glance behind, at the cold, dark hallway, and then moved forward, into the bright light.

It didn't changed as I moved into it, the room staying as it was, creepy black eyes watching from twisted window frames and curving black thrones; it was still horrible, as if I was being watched, as if those perverse monsters spiralling along the black rock were watching me, waiting for me, counting the seconds until they could reach out and claw into me, making me bleed….

And the light wasn't making me feel any better then I had in the hallway.

_Well, what do you expect, Joey?_

_You're in Hell._

_You're not supposed to feel better._

With slow steps, I walked into the room, leaving the door open behind me, in case I had to escape, to run for my life, for my very soul-

There was food on the table.

I didn't know how I missed it but there it was, splayed all across the narrow black table, garnished with dead flowers and tall, flaming black candlesticks; fruits and meats piled into plates, black, sombre plates scattered all about the table, a feast for many. Bananas and oranges and apples marched up alongside thick, greasy chicken legs, covered with raspberry and plump potatoes, all dripping sweet. Dead roses scattered, frail and broken, among the towering plates, fragrant and delicate between the rich aroma of cooked food, of delicious food, of sweet spices and salty sauces, all so wonderful. Dead flowers loomed between in dark vases, petal falling like black snow, the candlesticks of twisting, monstrous black alive with kicking flames, whipping grey smoke. Meat glistened, fresh and hot.

Grapes dripped wet.

_Oh God._

Without so much as a word, I rushed over to the table, staring down at the bountiful food, at the sweet meat and fresh fruits, my stomach growling at the mere sight of it all…

_God._

_I need to eat._

_I need to._

_How long has it been since I last ate?_

_How long?_

_I may be dead and all, but I'm so hungry…_

A finger went down and helpless, I poked into a thick roast beef, soaking in the dark gravy, the cooked flesh, bringing it to my lips for just one little taste-

_No._

With a quick jolt, I yanked my finger down, back to my side, adrenaline blazing, stomach screaming, heart booming for the pleasure of just one lick-

_No._

_Don't._

I swallowed back a gulp of sour saliva.

_Don't doom yourself, Joey._

My voice quavered but I quickly wiped at my finger, rubbing it against the black of my robe, removing any temptation-

Because I didn't stay here.

No matter how delicious it looked.

No matter how delicious it really was.

_I don't want to stay in Hell._

My heart boomed in my ears.

It took a while to completely wipe my finger, to make sure that it was completely gone less I forgot and bit my nails; it still smelt like gravy, like sweet, delicious gravy, all meat and pepper…

_Focus, Joey._

I swallowed back a sigh, and then turned away from the table.

At the left of the room, opposite the looming, Gothic windows and the scenery of lonely, icy hell, was a roaring fire place, all black and twisted, a giant monster roaring golden, hot flames in its mouth, fangs of black twisting down, stabbing into air. It was hideous, just as the chairs, as the watching windows; monsters, beasts, wild ogres danced along the whipping black, bloody eyes, weathered claws, snapping teeth and twisted tongues. Dead faces stared listlessly out into the world, eyes empty, lips tearing in screams of agony, skeletons crushed beneath the feet of trolls and daemons, blood black and putrid. Bodies scattered, limbs hanging bloody and raw, faces wretched away in silent screams of anguish and torture…

It was enough to make me completely lose any thoughts of ever eating again.

_Oh God._

Bile rushed up my throat.

For a moment, all I could was stare at it, at those eyes, at those black horrible eyes, those bloody claws, those silent screams, my entire body frozen by the thought, by the very sight, by the very possibility…

_Is this what she did?_

_Is this what she did with souls that-_

I closed my eyes, and swallowed, pulling myself back, pulling my senses back, pushing away all thoughts, all horrible, horrible thoughts-

Because I had a job to do.

I had to do it.

_Don't freak out, Joey._

_Not now._

_Not today._

I swallowed and opened my eyes, body shivering.

_Not this close._

Above the terrible fireplace, above the twisted faces and black bloods was a painting, a long, wide painting stretching the entire length of the golden-washed wall, light from the roaring fires below dancing upon like shadow puppets, dancing a jig; it was a painting, a beautiful, artistic work, fine lines, perfect blends, a masterpiece of great beauty-

Only, that it showed a dungeon.

It was a painting of a dungeon, a giant, dark dungeon, ceiling sightless in the never-ending black; tall, gravel arches pierced up into the darkness, sharp, utilitarian, simplistic, nothing like the Gothic wear of the room around me….

Or as empty.

All about the painting, in the wide scope of a dark, stone dungeon were people, pale, sick people scattered everywhere, splayed everywhere, as if nothing more then furniture, dead, lifeless objects; there had to be about ten of them, spread out about the painting, random and messy. To truth, the dungeon looked small, a simple underground courtyard with broken stones and ragged steps, firelight gleaming in torches, high against the wall; there were bars too, cells, shadowy figures limped behind them, banging on the black metals. Others just laid about, tied at the wrists with black manacles, splayed upon broken rocks, bloody and defeated, pale with death. Shadows hunched in corners, arms tearing in agony, faces distant and vague as they stared listlessly into the growing dark-

_Oh God._

I couldn't breathe.

_Oh God._

Not a breath.

_No._

My heart screamed.

For a moment, for just a moment, the entire world went still, silence engulfing, darkness stabbing as I stared up, mouth dry, heart banging, at the painting, at the painted figure of man, a prisoner, bowed forward on his knees, hands locked behind him by manacles, black coat billowed on gravel stone, shoulders hunched in defeat, dark curly hair limp, falling in the dark, blood trailing down cold, pale skin, beautiful, dark eyes looking down towards death….

_Will._

My heart died.

_Oh God._

It was as if the whole entire universe had broken down, had frozen, everything in existence stopping, halting, pausing for that one, precious moment as I looked at that figure, that painted man-

And I knew.

I just knew.

_Will._

A sob choked through my throat.

"Will."

No one spoke, no one replied, and nothing existed except me and that painted figure, that loose brown hair, that hard brown eyes, that man….

I shivered.

_Will._

I couldn't breathe, not really, and all I could do was stare and stare, hardly believing, barely understanding; somehow, somewhere, in the fog of the dream, in the sight of the wretched painted body, a hand went up and I lowered down my hood, pushing it back and freeing my face, my skin, my short dark blonde hair, my curling beads…

And the figure didn't move.

Will didn't move.

_Will._

A tear burned down my cheek.

_Will._

"I've found you," it was so soft, so very soft that I could barely hear it myself, a whispered choke deep inside of me; my heart burned, fiery ruins, a pain, an unbelievable pain seizing my heart and cutting me up, my fingers shivering as they touched the old medicine man's eye, running along the metal beads and gliding along the carved bone, fiery, hot eyes staring up at the small, painted figure, so far away...

Because I had finally found him.

I had finally found Will.

_Will._

Worlds past, time died and all that mattered was him, that I had found him, that he was there, right in front of me, after all these weeks, beautiful, sad, haunting, trapped, manacles black and gruesome, blood red and thick, eyes gone and dead-

A howl tore through the icy air.

It came so sudden, so very loud that I jumped, kicked out of the trance, the haunting sound echoing faintly from far away, a chilling, high-pitched howl of some animal, of some terrible beast-

_Balder._

My body snapped into action.

Without a word, I spun around and grabbed the nearest chair, fingers digging into smooth, horrid black rock and dragged it across the gravel, pushing it to the far end of the wall, beside the hideous fireplace. Black eyes stared out at me, gargoyles watching from their perches-

But all that wasn't important now.

_Not now._

_Not today._

Adrenaline screamed through my every vein.

_Not this close._

There was another howl, a piercing, loud howl, scattered and eerie, the laments of some terrible beast as I pushed the black chair against the wall, heart pumping, brain racing, my eyes burning with such fires as I ignored the horrid black fire place-

And jumped onto the tall chair, onto the hard, rock seat, black robes flapping. My short hair bounced, a halo of dark blonde against the nape of my neck as I skipped onto the seat, Sparrow's beads laughing in my ear, the howls fading away all senses-

And Will's painted figure bent in utter sorrow.

_Will._

My heart screamed.

_Will._

Another howl, loud and clear, nearer, and this time, I didn't hesitate anymore, not for another second; I was high enough now, high enough to touch the painting, to touch him. The black robe billowed behind me, rough and heavy against my back, pulling me down as my eyes levelled with the small, painted figure of a man I longed for, searched for, for so long…

Another howl.

Louder.

Nearer.

_Will._

Without another word, without another pause, I reached forward and jumped into the painting.

**888888888888**

I hit the cobblestones with a loud, unnerving crack.

Black robe swelled behind me, the dark hood flapping against the nape of my neck, hair spilling away into a messy halo; my hands were beneath me, cushioning my fall, the rough gravel of the stone floor grazing against my nose I fell face-first, my entire body jolting with aching pain. Skin bristled with the icy chill.

I groaned.

_Fuck. _

For a moment, I just laid there, tired, beaten, the fall hitting me square in the chest as I breathed out against the rough gravel, breath cold and foggy, Sparrow's beads laughing against my naked ear, the metal hook at the belt ringing against my body like a loud bell. Bones panged, shocked from the fall, skin grazing against the coarse floor, my eyes staring tiredly down at the rough, uneven patterns of unpolished gravel. Lungs panted, heavy with exhaustion.

_Yup._

_Never doing that again._

With a groan, I slowly raised my head, neck aching, hair falling array, eyes blinking tiredly as I looked out at the new scene before me-

The dungeon.

I was in the dungeon.

The painting.

_Oh God._

I blinked.

_It worked._

Before me, the painting was no longer a painting; no, it was real, as real as me, a small dungeon, a rocky prison opening up right before my eyes. It was no longer just lines, just paint, just simple ink, just the imagination of a depraved…

No.

It was real.

Real.

Completely real.

_Oh God._

Before me, the stone courtyard opened, the tall, sharp arches pointing up towards an unreal darkness, simplistic, carved rock, shadows leaping all about; the steps were there, all broken and ancient, climbing a few steps, looming away to another place, a hidden, darker place. The metal bars were there too, black, dark cells reaching from floor to ceiling, rusted and old, strong and ancient. Manacles hung, black and gleaming, swinging in the swirl of hot firelight, chiming like the chains of the dead. Hot flames torched towards the black, black ceiling, captured in torches, high on the walls, casting shadows of gold and amber across the dark, rocky room, spirits of the dead dancing in their graves. Flames hissed and spat, licking up the cold air, stabbing into the abyss…

And the people.

The people were real too.

More then real.

_Oh God._

All about the small dungeon, scattered, forgotten, laid people, bodies, men and women lying in absolute defeat, pale bodies sickly in the cast of the dark. Bones protruded, manacles hanging tight and raw around hands and feet as bodies laid and slouched, flat against floors or splayed against rocks, stirring, writing, rustles of cloth and murmurs of voices echoing up into the dark. They were so pale, so very pale, blood dripping pure red against their ashen skins, clothes tattered and thorn, hair stringy and grey. Faces stared up, up into the dark, sallow, pale faces, silent faces, eyes grey and lost, forgotten forever, whispers between dry, chapped lips, murmurs of voices that were no longer human…

And somewhere behind, somewhere out of sigh, the sound of whips, and the screams of a man.

_Oh God._

I didn't want to move.

I didn't want to move at all.

All around me, the dungeon pressed, darkness looming above, fires spitting, wayward bodies lying in total despair, no longer alive, no longer human, souls of men and women long lost and forgotten, icy air foul with the stench of utter human filth, whispers of dread, of pain and agony through the thick, black abyss-

I clamped my hands over my ears.

_Oh God._

I didn't want to hear.

I didn't want to see.

This place….

This horrible, horrible place….

_Oh God._

The tears came then, full-fledged tears, and for a moment, for just a moment, I forgot everything, every important thing, my job, my task, Will-

And just cried.

Cried.

Like a child.

Like a terrified, lonely child.

All around me, this world, this painting…

It was so dreadful.

So bloody terrible.

_Oh God._

For a moment, it was all I did; I just cried, hands over ears, tears burning flames, heart wracking inside as I stared out into the horrid world, into the dread, and the agony, and pure torture, the screams echoing inside my head, tearing me to bits-

And then, I saw him.

I saw him.

_Will._

He was there, just as I had seen him, from beyond the painting, exactly as before; William Turner was there, off to the left, down on his knees, legs astray. His black coat was swelled around him, just as I had seen him, the dark leather wrapped around his body, dusty and old. Black boots stuck out from beneath, crusty with mold and wear, dripping wet and dark. Firelight danced upon him, amber against the dark, gold light framing his straggled form; above, his skin was pale, pale and ghastly, sick, ashen, dead, so very white that for a second, for just a second, I wasn't sure that it was him at all.

For just a second.

Just one second.

_Will._

His hair was as dark as I remembered, that beautiful, curling dark brown hair, limp in the dank air, falling around him, down his leathered back; it was unruly, wild, curls of endless brown knotted here and there, a mane of bronze down his back. Amber danced along its edges, ringing them gold, a fiery mane limp against his back, slumped in defeat. It seemed to blend right into the dusty black leather, knots of curls, wild tresses; below them, far below, his pale, pale hands were strapped against his back, black manacles tight along his wrist, bleeding red. They were hooked to the broken wall behind him, to the slump of the rock of which he splayed, forgotten and bruised, a short, black chain hanging in between, swinging in the whispering dark. Golden light danced along the edge of his back, his amber-limned shoulders hunched forward, broken, defeated, arms straggled and pale. Dark tresses hung limply about his face, hiding it from sight, hiding his dark, dark eyes.

His head bent down, vanquished.

Defeated.

My heart screamed.

_Will._

For a moment, I just laid there, forgetting everything else, forgetting the dungeons, the listless souls, the black whispers, the tortured screams…

And just saw him.

Only him.

Only Will.

_Will._

I moved before I could think, before I could process anything; it had to be him, it just to be. After all these weeks, after all that work, after all that searching, after everything….

_It had to be him._

_It had to be Will._

My feet felt like lead.

_Will._

It was as if no one could see me, not even Will; I moved, towards them, towards them all, right into their circle, mindlessly passing wayward bodies, stepping over dripping blood…

But no one cared.

No one saw.

Could they even see?

_Will._

My body had no mind, my steps any focus but then, just like that, I was there.

I was beside him.

_Will._

It was him, no doubt about it; sitting right there, in the dark, silent, deaf, skin pale and ghastly, eyes buried in the black…

But it was him.

It was Will.

_My Will._

I moved then, so quickly, so fast, my brain wasn't even working; black robe billowed behind me as I swerved around him, ignoring everything else, everyone else, as I moved my body and rushed right before him, right in front of him. Souls whispered, whips cracked far away…

But all that mattered was Will.

Just Will.

_Will._

A sob cracked in my throat.

"Will?" I was in front of him now, my body shivering, shuddering, my heart spasming within me as I looked down upon him, tear raw and hot in my ears; he laid on a rock at the height of my hips, so close he was, so very close, my fingers aching to grab him, to hold him, to never let him go-

But he wasn't answering me.

He just sat there, a doll, a shadow, head bent down towards his lap, hands tied behind him, dark hair shivering in the flickering black, face buried away. His skin glowed in the firelight, so pale, so ashen, his body so very still as he hunched over, a broken man, a ruined soul…

I reached forward.

My fingers felt so hard, so very sharp as I reached down and touched his chin, just a little, wrists kissing against his knotty curls; his skin was so cold, so very cold, his hair wet and long, my heart screaming away….

A sob rippled through my body.

"Will?"

He moved.

It was so soft, so very slow that for a second, I thought it was just my imagination, just my hope, just my vapid desire.

But then, he stirred, and in the fog of the world, in the gloom of the dead, William Turner tilted his head slowly and looked up at me.

_Will._

There it was, among the curls, among the dirt, among the flickering darkness; his face, his beautiful, beautiful face, his sharp nose, his little moustache, his high cheekbones, his swelt, perfect lips –

And his eyes.

His beautiful eyes.

_Will._

For a second, he just looked at me, and I just looked at him, and a tear ran down my cheek as I kept my finger to his chin, my heart soaring, my blood screaming white-hot. Every cell in me burst awake, alive, kicking, screaming, my entire being vibrating with such energy, with such force, warm, delicious force-

Because he was here.

I had found him.

I had found Will.

_Will._

A smile cracked across my lips.

"Hey there."

He didn't answer.

He just looked at me, and it took me a second to realise that he wasn't _seeing _me, not really; his dark eyes, those dark , dark eyes which I yearned so long for were grey, hazy, unfocused, as if staring into another world, right through me….

The smile fell from my lips.

_Oh God._

_No._

_No._

_No._

_It can't be._

_Balder said…._

_Balder said he might…_

_No._

_No._

_Please._

_No._

_God-_

His voice was just a whisper.

"Joey?"

I laughed.

I couldn't help it.

It just spilled out of my lips, a giddy, happy sort of laugh, cutting right through the cold, through the blinding cold, my heart dancing and soaring and laughing with complete mirth; I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him, giving in to my desire and holding him, holding him for the first time in what seemed like forever, holding him close, holding him near, wrapping my body around his cold, cold one…

And I just held on, smiling into his dirty hair, holding him forever-

Because I was never letting him go again.

Never.

Not again.

_Will._

"Are you dead too?"

It came so soft, but it was enough to pull me back; with a rustle of cloth, I pulled apart from him and gazed back down at him, still holding him, clutching him by the shoulders, the smile still silly and giddy among my lips. His dark hair fell, untidy, messy, and as I pulled back, still smiling, still unbelievably ecstatic, I saw his dark brown eyes caught the light, and the golden tint, the golden way his eyes always seemed flashed right through, bright and brilliant; the fog was clearing from them, the vagueness, the dream melting away but his face was still confused, still asleep, the dream in them slowly drifting away as if he was being shaken awake. He was still in the mist though, still so lost, still so far away-

But now, he was looking at me.

He could see me.

He saw me.

_Will._

I tucked one of his curls off to the side, softly, gently.

My smile couldn't go away.

"Sort of," I nodded, grinning, smiling down at his foggy, dreamy face, wanting to hold him again, to hold him forever and ever and ever, my heart laughing with joy deep in my chest, "Not really. It's hard to explain-"

His voice was still so far away.

"Is that really you?"

I just smiled.

What else could I say?

Will was here.

Will was back.

_I've found Will, after all this time-_

A scream pierced through the dream.

For a second, bewilderment engulfed me as I looked about, adrenaline pumping, synapses snapping as I looked about for the danger, for the harm, for an escape route-

And remembered where we were.

We were still there, in the painting, in the dungeon, surrounded by forgotten souls, whispers of black, screams of the tortured, cracking of whips-

We were still here.

We were still trapped.

_We need to get out of here._

Will was still staring at me, but I was already moving; my body was working on its own as I released Will, regrettably, and charged behind him, towards the manacles around his hands at the back. He was still confused, asleep, dreamy, staring at the space where I had just been, face screwed up in confusion; but I didn't time for that. I had to explain later.

Much later.

_Survive first._

_Talk later._

His skin was so cold.

"What are you doing?" He was still so soft, his voice like a dream, like a beautiful, beautiful dream, but I had to move, I had to work…

I had to get us out of here.

_We need to get out of here._

"Rescuing you," I said simply enough, my voice loud and clear in the whispering dark, my grin flashing momentarily as I considered him, my hands working on their own; fingers dashed into my black robes and pulled out with a large, black key, the length of my palm. It was cold, icy, a smooth, perfect black rock carved into a skeleton key, embellished with carven figures, writing bodies and laughing monsters. A rope dangled from it, hooked at its end, and for a moment, I stared at it, at those same black, haunting eyes.

Voices whispered.

_We need to get out of here._

I pushed the key into the lock.

It perfectly of course, and for next few seconds, I twisted and twisted the key, turning it about in the lock, in the square bolted lock joining the manacles to Will's cold hands. Chains chimed and moaned, laments of the dead, and Will just sat there, hunched, staring forward, slowly waking up from a sleep, a horrible, tainted sleep. Stone grazed against rusty black metal, dark chains knocking back and forth against gravel with the effort. Screams tore in the distance.

Whips cracked.

_We need to get out here._

"A key," his voice was so dreamy, my hands beginning to hurt from all the twisting, from all the turning, my heart stinging with growing urgency, adrenaline rushing, blazing like flames, "A key…where did you get a key?"

His voice was enough to make me smile.

"Oh," I grinned, inching the key as a click sounded from the lock, "We might have stolen it from her bedroom."

He was still so lost.

"Her?"

There wasn't time to answer. There was final click, a loud clear one, and then the manacles fell loose, dropping free, clanging down onto the rock. A burst of laugher escaped my lips as Will's hands went free, the pale skin sickly and dead beneath the black bounds-

And he was bleeding.

There was blood-

_No._

_Not now._

_Survive first._

_Talk later._

_Later._

"Come on!" I grabbed him then, fingers digging into dusty leather, "We don't have much time!"

He could barely move.

My fingers dug in, but Will was helpless, still locked away in that dream, in that horrible state, lost away in another world, lost forever-

And so he fell, hard, to the cobblestone, inches away from another soul, crashing like a sack of bones, helpless, pathetic, dark curls tearing through the icy air…

_Will._

Once again, my body moved, faster than my brain, and I was by his side in seconds, hands digging under his arm, lifting him back. He was dead weight, completely helpless, his brown eyes lost and bewildered, face screwed in confusion, his skin so very cold; but I shoved with my shoulder, digging under his arm, and then wrapping his cold, livid arm around my shoulder, taking his weight.

Pushing him on.

His feet couldn't move, so I dragged him, his skin so cold, so icy, our boots dragging through pools of black blood, over icy bones and whispering lips, my muscles straining, my heart pumping, adrenaline shooting through my veins, surging me on, pushing me on, pushing us both on-

His voice came out, breathy and confused.

"Stop."

I clutched him even tighter.

"No time."

His feet were so heavy, so very heavy, dragging us back as I pushed us on, over souls, over blood, over hanging chains, straight back towards the walls, towards where I had come from, or at least where I _thought _I had come from-

He sounded so lost.

"Stop."

I shook my head; there was a soul there, staring right at us, looking with pale, ghastly eyes, mouth open, reaching forth in a silent scream….

"No time," I repeated, huffing as I held him, as I dragged him, my every cell fighting to get him out of here, to save him, "Balder's holding off the hounds, but there isn't much time. We can't delay, Will."

He didn't reply.

Darkness fell from above as I pushed us both, pushing and pushing, dragging his dead weight, keeping him as close as possible because I never, ever wanted to lose him again. Not ever, not ever again, because if I let him go for just one moment, for just one second…

His breath was hot against my ear.

"Joey."

_Will._

And with that, I charged us both into the cobblestone wall, head first, feet last, fingers gripping onto him, never letting him go as we slammed right into the wall, not knowing if we were going to fall through, or to just crash against the hard, rough rock-

Grey rushed, solid transcending past like a whoosh of wind and all of a sudden, we were crashing down in the light, falling through the icy chill and then a flat smash onto the gravel floor, light blinding our eyes. A loud crack echoed after us, bones screaming at the impact, hair flying, robe billowing and for a second, for just a second, all I could was red, thick and bloody red.

_Will._

I opened my eyes.

All around me, the golden-cast long room loomed quietly, silently, amber ceilings doming perfectly, black chandelier rocking silently. The fireplace was beside us, its roaring belly hidden by its grotesque black side, ashes scattered all about its feet like grey snow. Before us, the limbs of the table were long and dark, the chairs legs twisted and gnarly in the glow of the golden flames, dead petals floating to the rough, gold-washed stone like dead snowflakes falling to the world. Little fires whipped in the chandelier, quiet and appeasing, and across from it, from between the black legs, the windows sat sombre, showing the black, icy world outside.

The world smelt of dead roses.

_We're back._

For a moment, I just laid there, riding out the pain, relishing in the bright, golden light, in the heavenly silence-

And then, I turned to look at Will; he was there, right beside me, still in my grip, slowly struggling up to a sitting position, eyes blur, face stoned. His lips were twisted with aching pain as he rose slowly, black coat lounging, the maroon shirt beneath flowing loose as he pulled himself from the ground, slow and steady. Dark curls, still knotted, flowed about loosely, so very beautiful in the glow of the room.

His eyes were gold.

_Will._

With a soft sigh, I began to pull myself up as well, bones aching, blood rushing; Will was half-way up, moving so slowly, stirring out of the dream, the fog slowly fading away from his bright, gold eyes-

And I couldn't help it.

I hugged him again.

I threw my arms around him, engulfing him, enveloping him, and he staggered, his back leaning, his legs still sprawled beneath him just as mine were; but I didn't move.

I couldn't.

I just wanted to hold on to him forever.

_Will._

For a moment, we just sat there, my arms tight around him, his body limp and lifeless, weak and exhausted, a sob choking right through my throat-

And then, I felt an arm wrap around me as well.

_Will._

I had him.

I've found him.

After all this time…

Will was back.

I found Will.

I had Will back.

_I had Will back._

Nothing else mattered, nothing at all; the world faded as I buried my face into his hair, smelling him, remembering him, his soft, tender curls, his rough skin, his voice, his beautiful voice speaking my very name, whispering into my ear, hot and alive…

And I was never going to let him go.

Not now.

Not ever.

Never, ever again.

Never.

_Will._

_I've found you, Will._

_I've found you._

_And I'm never letting you go._

_I'm holding on, and I'm never letting go._

_Never._

_Never._

_Never, ever-_

The door slammed.

It was startling, a frightening, that even in Will's weak, lifeless embrace, I jumped, pulling back from him, from his body, from his being, my eyes tearing open as I searched out, instinct kicking into overdrive-

And then, I saw her.

Before me, standing a few meters behind Will, before the black wooden door that I had first come in with, was a woman.

A beautiful woman.

_Her._

She stood there, tall and proud, a wondrous sight ablaze in the golden-cast room; dark hair, raven hair spilled down her lanky body, thick and curly, luscious and glossy, falling over her shoulders in waterfalls of black, glorious, beautiful black. They were so long, so fine, dancing down her back, over her radiant dress; upon her body, her perfect, slim body was a violet dress, a beautiful dress, embossed with flowers and trees, a vision of stunning purple in such a dead world. She was the only colour in the room, her purple dress violent against the blacks and gold, like a star on a dark night, a sun to a dead world. Violet silk trailed back, a striking train of indigo against the golden-washed floor, her dark hair stunning against the silk of the purple thread. Golden string laced about the purple silk, dancing nymphs and flowers and glorious trees, the breath of spring, the breath of life. Her dark hair flowed down, smooth like a river, curving upon her heaving bosoms, so dark her curls, so very free; her skin was pale, deathly pale, a perfect sort of pale that stunned against her black, black hair, a beautiful, perfect shade.

Too beautiful.

_Oh God._

Up above, her face was lovely, all flaring pale cheekbones and sharp nose, her lips a full, subtle pink, cheeks darkened with blush. Earrings, pale, diamond stones, hung from her perfect ears, gleaming like stars in the night against her black, black hair. Her forehead was broad, her pale skin even and unblemished, and above, her lashes were dark and thick, every girl's dream.

Her eyes were a cold blue.

Familiar blue.

_Oh God._

Upon her head, strapped around her gorgeous head, was a crown, a pale, white crown studded with gems and jewels, bright and beautiful, the white rock carved together so elegantly, so wonderfully-

Because they were bones.

She was wearing a crown of bones.

_Oh God._

_Oh fucking God._

For a moment, nothing moved.

Nothing breathed.

I just sat there, staring at her, at this strange, beautiful sight, at this radiant woman standing between the door and us. Will was turned before me, staring at her as well over his shoulder, his body slumped, his breath weak, his dark hair wild as he looked meekly over at her, still dazed, still lost, his skin so very cold-

She smiled.

I couldn't breathe.

_Oh god._

"I hate happy endings."

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**That's it! That's chapter 1 of the sequel!**

**Just to note: this fic will take longer to write, mainly because I'm going to take my time with it. So, sorry about that.**

**Anyhow, I hoped you enjoy Chapter 1! If you have anything to say, go ahead and leave a message on my review board. Also, share with your friends, if you want to! I'm open to constructive criticism, and am looking forward to hearing from you guys.**

**Love you lot, and see you soon!**

**XOXO**


	3. Hel

**Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs.**

**Alright! HERE WE GO!**

**Chapter 2: Hel**

I never, for the life of me, saw this coming.

Not really.

Not even once.

I mean, yeah, sure, walking about in the Underworld, trespassing onto sacred grounds, guaranteed at least some sort of resistance, some kind of defence.

An Underworld security system.

A fleet of bodyguards.

Daemons, perhaps.

Maybe Rygor's freaking ghost.

Anything.

Everything.

But not her.

Not her.

_Her._

Behind me, Will was pressed back against the black, horrid fireplace, arm slumped against the mantel piece, his entire body slouched against the twisting black faces and morbid claws; I could hear him breathing behind me, his breath shallow and quick, panting, gasping, warm air stirring my short hair, kissing against the nape of my neck. The other hand was grasping at my waist, at the loose black robe, fingers digging into the sleek belt as he held on to me from behind, icy cold burning through the black fabric. His chest brushed against my back.

Fire roared beside him, licking hot and free.

Not her.

_Her._

Before me, up above, the black chandelier was rocking, swinging to some inaudible beat, to some unfelt wind, black twisted rock swaying like a giant pendulum, hinges creaking and moaning; its candles were still bright, still whipping, laughing and giggling, safe spectators watching down, waiting for all of it to start. The food beneath sat like props, no longer sweet, no longer glistening, black petals frail and beautiful, sweet and bitter in the icy chill. Black gargoyles sat on tall dark thrones, watching, waiting, claws and fangs glistening in the firelight, alive and hungry. Fire hissed and spat, an unruly, wild beast.

Skin screamed from the cold.

Not her.

_Her._

I couldn't breathe.

She was just standing there, just standing, quiet, silent, against the black, Gothic windows, against the backdrop of the icy, cold, dead Underworld; it was like staring at a painting, a statue, a doll, her breaths silent, her body unmoving, dark, curly hair trailing down like black rivers over her chest, perfect and beautiful. Her dress was silent, silk soft against the rough golden-washed gravel, the purple so brilliant, so out of place in a world of black and dying gold. Loose violet sleeves hung, soft and lovely, demure and elegant, golden flowers and trees threading through the soft purple, so delicate, so fine. Above, beyond the black, black tresses, against the faded, cold, whipping snow and below the pale, beautiful crown, her skin was flawless, perfect, porcelain pale, like the shine of the moon, starlight against a black night; she was beautiful, unbelievably beautiful and so out of place in a world of dead, her lips full and sweet, her smile soft and delicate, and her eyes…

No.

Not her eyes.

Not her.

_Her._

My heart screamed.

"Are you hungry?"

It was soft voice, a gentle voice, and for a second, she looked so pretty, so very sweet, her lips smiling a loving beam, her lashes fluttering thick and long, her crown gleaming pale and bright, her entire face this beautiful, dreamy vision promising a better place, a better world, a home for everyone-

And then Will's fingers dug into my waist.

_Her._

With a soft gulp and a quick blink, I turned my head slightly, back towards him; he was pressing against me, holding me, using me for support as he slouched against the black horrid fireplace, dark hair loose, skin cold and pale, dark brown eyes staring at me, and only at me, weak and lost and confused, still so sick, still so scared…

And I had to defend him.

I had to protect him.

From her.

_Her._

I pressed back against him.

Ever so slightly.

_Her._

"Stay away from us," it came out softer then I intended, a mere squeak in the icy, long room, my body shuddering, shivering, heart stomping and stomping, beating with pure terror, blood rushing fast and furious as Will 's fingers gripped weakly at the belt, holding on to me, needing me-

Her eyebrows arched.

Her beautiful, dark eyebrows.

_Her._

Her voice was still so sweet.

"I was merely asking-"

"I know who you are," I said it louder, staring at her, at her sweet, beautiful face, at her pretty, pretty hair, at her gleaming jewelled crown, her blue eyes watching bland and pale, my heart banging against my rib-cage, ice rushing through my blood, "I know exactly who you are, and I know you don't give a shit if we're hungry or not."

Will's breath was so short.

So warm.

_My only warmth._

She was still so sweet.

Still so pretty.

_Her._

With a single step, she moved forward, dark curls bouncing, violet silk whispering, her pretty lips pulled back in a smile, a sweet, sweet smile that seemed to promise everything, to promise the world, an eternal sleep-

Her voice was like daffodils in spring, fresh and wild.

"I don't know what-"

I didn't give her the chance.

I couldn't.

Not her.

_Her._

My breath was ice.

"You're Hel," I said it, letting it go, letting it free, my chest panging, my heart shrieking, my body refusing to move a single inch away from Will lest she came and took him, took him all over again, his breath my own strength, "You're the Queen of the Underworld."

Silence screamed.

And then, the smile was gone.

_Oh God._

It came like a wind, a sudden, icy wind, and all of a sudden, everything changed, everything completely changed, flowers turning into bitter ice, light into abyss; dark hair, beautiful, luxurious dark hair became too black, so, so black, like the night, like the shadows, like the pure, untainted abyss of the very clutches of hell, the very eyes of death. Skin, perfect, pale skin became ashen, became pasty, drained, grey, the sickly, horrible colour of death, the very blush of the end. Purple became rotten, livid, completely decayed, a horrible putrid colour of rot and deterioration, the tint of flesh becoming rancid in the ice. Lips curled, red and furious, smirking, sneering, tilted away in some horrid plan, in some horrid deed, and above, above her dead skin and shadowy, terrible hair, her crown became what I first knew it to be; bones, bones of hands clutching at jewels, circling her head in elbow joints and rustic kneecaps, diamonds sets among dried veins and black blood. Arteries crept down, right to her temples, dead blue slithering up to her eyes-

Oh God.

Her eyes.

Her horrible, horrible eyes.

_Oh God._

They were so pale, so, so pale, pure ice set into a beautiful face now sneered, now dead, terrible, terrible eyes that gleamed like a beast's, like monster's, cold, brutal, hungry, so very hungry-

And familiar.

Completely familiar.

Because I had seen them before.

I had seen those eyes before.

I had seen it.

That shade, that horrible icy twist-

Will gasped.

_Oh God._

Without a word, without a another movement, I reached behind and grabbed his clutching hand, holding it, squeezing it, forcing warmth into those shivering, icy fingers-

Because now, it was cold.

So, so cold.

_Oh God._

_Oh God._

_I shouldn't-_

_I should have just-_

_I should have made sure-_

_Oh God._

_Oh God._

_Oh God-_

Her voice was ice.

"You know me."

My heart shivered.

She was still there, still standing there, in the golden light, against the snow, and she looked the same, the same beautiful woman-

But now I could _see_ her.

Now I could completely _see _her.

_Her black, black hair-_

_Her dead skin-_

_Her rotting dress-_

_Her blood red lips-_

_Her bloody, bone crown-_

_Her horrible, horrible eyes-_

Oh yes.

I could see her.

I could see her now.

I could completely see her.

Her.

_Hel._

The world was black and white.

Will's hand was so cold.

So, so cold.

_Hel._

My voice was so weak.

"Yeah," I was trembling, I knew that, my voice wavering, my body shivering, the cold plunging deep into me, stabbing me, Will's body cold and icy behind me, his fingers weak and dead, his breath hot like flames, "Yeah. I know who you are."

Her lips were so red, so very red.

"Interesting," it was smirk, nothing more, but it was so cold, so very cold, her eyes like glaciers, like horrible blizzards, dead and icy, her blood lips curving upwards in a horrible sneer, "Very interesting."

Will's breath was like a fire against the nape of my neck.

I couldn't feel my toes.

_Hel._

"Interesting? Like your lack of creativity?"

That stopped her.

For a second, the world seemed to freeze as Will and I stood, shivering, hand clutched behind my back, the woman, Hel, watching with that unnerving, icy smirk-

And then, she raised an eyebrow, a perfect, arching eyebrow over those horrible eyes, right into the crown of bones.

"Creativity?"

Her voice was enough to give me frostbite.

I shivered.

_Think, Joey._

"Yeah…" I nodded, voice trembling, body shuddering, Will's warm breath too short, too raspy, "I mean, no offence and all, b-but…you have really no imagination when it comes to naming things."

Useless fires hissed.

Red lips twisted.

"Oh?"

Will's breath stabbed.

"Yeah. Like this place…w-who names their domain, their kingdom after themselves? I mean, seriously? Ego much?"

The world froze.

For a minute or two, nothing moved, nothing blinked, and I knew I had done it; I had opened my big stupid mouth and killed us all instead of dragging Will and running for the door. No, not that; instead, I'm standing here and starting a freaking banter with the Queen of the Underworld-

Yup.

I did it.

I've killed us.

_Next time, Joey, run._

_Run._

_Just shut up and ru-_

Her voice slithered across like a sharp blade of bitter ice.

"Funny. I like funny."

Her smirk was bloody and vile.

Horrible.

Evil.

_Just shut up and run._

"Really? Well, I like warmth. Real, nice heat. Guess we're not going to work out then."

Her eyes were so cold.

"Oh, don't be silly. We can make it work. I also like…"

She trailed off, and her lips turned, her smirk widening, cruel, bitter, and all of a sudden, I just knew, I just knew…

Everything was _not _alright.

_Oh God._

"Fire."

Will gulped.

My heart screamed.

_Oh God._

She smiled.

For the next few moments, no one spoke, no one even breathed; she just looked at me, and I just looked at her, trembling, shivering, clutching Will's hand, squeezing it, never wanting to let it go, not for anyone, not for her, not for her terrible, terrible eyes-

_If she comes one step closer-_

_I don't care what Balder said._

_I'm taking it out._

_I won't let her take Will from me again._

_I won't let her._

_I'll kill her if she even tries-_

_And she'll kill me._

_She'll probably kill me._

_But I don't care._

_I won't let her have Will._

_I won't let her take him from me._

_Not again._

_Not ever._

_Not even if it kills me a-_

She started to pace.

_Oh God._

It was a slow walk, a gentle, slow walk, her putrid, rotting dress trailing behind her, her crown of bones and blood gleaming in the icy, icy firelight, her dark, dark deathly black hair bouncing softly with each step towards-

Towards her right.

Down, against the windows.

Perpendicular to me.

Not at me.

Not at us.

She was not pacing to us.

_Thank God._

I squeezed Will's icy fingers just a little tighter.

_Thank God._

Her lips moved like liquid blood.

"You know, you're not the first soul that has come," she was looking at anymore, not anymore, those terrible, terrible pale eyes looking down the narrow room, shadowy hair trickling, her bones dark beneath the pale of her dead skin, her voice like pure ice, "First soul that has tried to rescue another from here, I mean."

I didn't answer.

I didn't know what to say.

I just stood there, shivering, trembling, staring at her, at her black, black hair, grasping Will's hand as if it was my very life; the door laid to the right, closed but there, and if I was move fast enough, dragging Will with all my strength-

She spoke again.

"I sometimes got mothers," her dress was trailing, putrid, rotting flesh, her voice so cold, so icy, her 'r's rolling in a familiar tone, my very breath stinging with chill, "Mothers looking for children…sometimes, fathers too…. often I got best friends. Brothers and sisters. Comrades. Sons and daughters. Allies. Lo-"

She stopped, and turned back to us, icy, pale eyes bright and painful, red lips curled away into a vivid sneer, a cruel, cruel smile.

My heart trembled.

"Lovers."

Fires laughed.

_Oh God._

For a moment, no one spoke, the air so cold, so very cold, my body tired, weak, Will's icy fingers slipping out of my grip slowly, helplessly, his warm breath vulnerable, powerless, slowly fading away…

I took in a sharp, bitter icy breath.

"Why did you p-put him here?"

Dark, dark hair trickled, as Hel raised one single, delicate black eyebrow.

Her sneer was so cold.

_Don't look into her eyes._

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," my voice was quavering, Will's fingers slipping away, "W-Why did you put Will here? In the painting?"

A single, trembling finger stabbed through the cold and pointed upwards, to the heavy, broad painting sitting above our heads, to the now slightly altered masterpiece-

Her voice was ice.

Pure, cruel ice.

"Look at him," her eyes were animal, hungry, ravenous monsters, lips smirking with icy clarity, "He's pretty."

_Oh God._

I pushed myself harder against him.

_Oh God._

"You should have sent him to heaven-"

"You mean the Lighter Lands?" She looked so hungry, so very hungry, her cold, cold pale eyes like that of a monster's, glinting, gleaming, inhumane, unreal.

A monster.

An icy, icy monster.

_Oh God._

My voice came out in a tremble.

"That's where all souls are supposed to g-go, isn't it? In the end? That's what I was told-a-all good souls, at least, went over there-"

"Don't be silly. He's too pretty."

_Oh God._

_I have to get him out of here._

_I have to go._

_If the cold doesn't kill him, she will take him back-_

"Besides, he was a gift from my sister."

Ice shattered through panicked flames.

_What?_

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at those horrible eyes, at those bloody, bloody lips, mind whirling, mind spinning, ice biting into my every senses as I clutched Will's frosty hands and stared and stared and stared…

_What?_

My voice came out like whistle.

"What sister?"

Hel quirked a single, perfect eyebrow.

Her eyes grinned.

_What?_

"Calypso," she said simply enough, voice still icy, still cold, still so unnerving, creeping under my skin as she began to walk again, pacing back towards me, her awful, pale eyes wandering away from us (thank god) and towards the world outside, gazing out into the blinding, white snow, "My older sister."

Her feet were cold and bare.

_Calypso?_

Will's warm breath, the only warm thing in the world, drew in.

Quick.

_What?_

"Calypso?" I raised an eyebrow this time, squeezing Will's cold fingers even more, curling my toes in my boots, and fighting against the stabbing, icy cold, "As in the Goddess of the Sea?"

A wayward, icy glance towards me, lips curled red and foul.

"Bland, I know-"

"But that doesn't make any sense," I was moving forward, I don't know why, pulling myself away from Will as my hand still held on to his icy one, my black robe rustling, my feet heavy as they strode one step through the biting cold, my eyes fixed on the pacing, moving Queen of the Underworld, "Why would she send Will- how can she even-"

"So many questions," with a swirl of the rotting livid of the dress, Hel turned back to me again, a smile, a grin of flashing blood and brilliant white stretching across her beautiful face, her icy face, her dead face, a jewel gleaming among the thorns of her bone crown, "How charming."

She had the most unnerving smile.

The most dangerous.

_Oh God._

Will's cold fingers were slipping again.

Fires spat, bright and icy.

Pale eyes watched.

Hungry.

_Oh God._

I swallowed a gulp.

"Why did Calypso sent Will to you?"

Her teeth were so white.

Ice white.

"I don't know," she said simply enough, smiling, just smiling, her eyes watching with their hideous gleam, waiting to pounce on us, to eat us alive, "Oldest sisters. You know how they are- she just told me to keep him close, to keep him near, because one day…. I was going to need him."

_Need him._

_Need him._

_Oh God._

The blood seemed to froze in my veins.

I couldn't feel Will's breath anymore.

Her eyes were dead.

_Oh God._

For a moment, for a frozen, icy second, no one spoke, my breath suddenly so loud in my ears, my mind racing, spinning, my entire world a frozen, cold glazier, bloody and raw-

_Because Calypso knew._

_Apparently._

_How-_

_Why-_

_I don't know._

_Calypso._

_She knew._

_She knew I was coming here._

_She knew that I was going to rescue Will, that I was coming to Hell-_

_But how?_

_How the hell?_

_I never met her._

_I don't know her._

_How the hell does she know who I am?_

_Who the hell is-_

I swallowed.

A bitter, icy swallow.

_Oh God._

Without a word, I turned around, back to Will; the golden-washed world, the fires seemed so cold now, so brittle, so icy, and in the fog of the chill, in the hazy cold, Will was still slouched there, beneath the painting, against the black, monstrous fireplace, hand reached out into mine. Dark brown locks fell, limp and dead, his skin so unhealthy, so very pale, his lips dry and chapped, his entire slim frame leaned back against the mantel, using it to support him, to hold him up, his fingers weak and cold-

And his eyes, looking right at me.

Bright.

Clear.

_Will._

I moved forward, towards him, to look into his eyes, to make sure the fog was really gone-

But then he snapped his head, and I spun around-

And Hel was still there, on the other side of the table…

Only closer.

_Oh God._

She was right behind a black throne now, grinning, beaming, sickly pale skin glowing under the firelight, her lips red and brutal, her eyes like a monsters, a daemon on the prowl. Teeth glinted, bright and brilliant.

Pale eyes grinned.

_Oh God._

My voice came out in a foggy whisper.

"You're messing with me."

She just grinned.

_Oh God._

For a moment, no one spoke.

Not a word,

And then, I breathed.

"I want to know. Everything. About Calypso-"

She snapped.

One minute, she was just grinning, horrible and cold, still and silent, and then, the black throne before her was flying through the window, glass shatter into the night; it moved so fast, so very quick, a whirl of icy air and then a loud crash, a smash of ice. Black rock swirled, gargoyles and twisted faces screaming as the throne thrashed through the windows, breaking wood, breaking glass, whirling and screaming out into the white snow, glass raining like a thousands stars. Sound echoed, loud and clear, booming through the entire cold room as the single black throne hurtle through the glass panes and out into the snow, forever lost, forever gone.

Glass screamed into the air.

_Fucking hell._

In the place of three Gothic windows, across the other wall, was a hole, a large, gaping hole, gravel broken and crumbling at the bottom, glass raining into the air, black rock splintered and jagged, falling in chips; it was huge, huge enough to throw a rhino through, a jagged hole into another world-

And the wind came howling in.

Snow rushed in, the horrible, horrible gale pouring into the room, white flakes flying across the rocking chandelier, fires hissing, petals flying, my hair kicking about, madly, violently, the cold slamming into us, slapping, stabbing-

And Hel standing right before it.

Snarling.

Furious.

_Oh God._

She was just standing there, right in front of the large hole, the snow outside swirling behind her, wild and furious, her black hair screaming into the cold, skin dead, rotting dress tearing, red lips snarling-

And her teeth…

Her sharp, white teeth.

_Oh God._

There it was, the animal, the monster, the creature from hell; her teeth had gone from perfect normal to sharp white daggers, all of them, two rows of fangs gnashing into each other, furious, wild, her blue, blue eyes wide, big, so very pale, pupils drawing back, narrowing, gleaming mad and insane, hungry for blood…

_Oh God._

The wind howled, icy and bitter.

Will screamed my name.

_Oh God._

Without so much as word, I pushed him back, back towards the fireplace, pulling our hands apart as I kept him behind him, away from her, away from the howling, gaping wind, the biting snow swirling in, my fingers digging down into my robe, searching-

Her snarl was like claws through my flesh.

"Who do you think you are, you pathetic soul?" her eyes were so wrong, so very wrong, her fingers clutching down against the black table, her bone crown white and ghastly, her black hair wild, her red lips so bloody, so enraged, a pure, hungry, depraved monster, "This is my castle! This is my kingdom! You have no right here, you worthless m-"

And then, she was moving, before she even finished her sentence, before I could even think, Will screaming my name, clutching at my robe, the wind howling and howling and howling, so cold, so very icy-

She was climbing over the table.

She moved so quick, so damn fast, an animal, a monster, insanity, hunger tearing through her as she screamed, a bloody, horrible scream, and scrambled over the table, over the dead flowers, over all the food, hair wild, skin white, dress ripped and rotting, lips bloody, eyes so very crazy, teeth sharp and gnashing, ready to jump, to bite down into my neck, to completely devour me-

"JOEY!"

My fingers flew, deep into the black robes, pulling it out, freeing it, grasping the familiar warmth, the strong beautiful light, taking it, twisting it, cutting it around to bite forward into the cold, towards the charging beast, bright and glowing, beautiful-

Strong.

Strong sword.

Balder's sword.

_My sword._

It reached forward, that sword, that beautiful sword, my sword, a bright, blazing blade cutting through the ice, gold gleaming, ruby burning, Balder's blade slicing through the cold and pointing right in front of me. It was light in the dark, warmth in a cold, cold world and the touch of it, the mere touch of it in my hand, its warmth bursting through my skin, flooding down my frozen veins, burning bright and alive-

And strong.

So very strong.

_Yes._

Gold light blazed through the world.

_Oh yes._

Hel stopped.

_Oh fucking yes._

She was right in front of me, monster eyes, sharp, demon teeth, the cold slapping against her dead skin, hair wild, dress torn, her body sprawled across the table where she had stopped, lips red and brutal-

And my sword just beneath her chin.

My warm, strong sword.

_Oh hell, yes._

She stopped breathing.

For a second, the world completely froze as Hel just sprawled there, up on the table, teeth sharp, eyes hideous, warmth surging through my skin, through my arm, warming me up, lighting me up, burning away the smiting cold as the blade glowed bright in the world, a star in a dark, dark night. The wispy words glowed like constellations, the ruby a fiery sun, the gold so warm, so very beautiful-

And Hel was just staring it.

_Yes._

I wasn't breathing myself.

_Yes._

Behind me, Will was gasping, breathing heavily, but all I could see was Hel, her crazy eyes, her horrible, horrible teeth, the sword burning in my hand, ready to swing, to kill if that was necessary to protect Will and myself-

She recoiled.

She actually _recoiled._

A flare of nostrils, and she pulled back, so slightly, so quickly, eyes darting to the burning blade, so white, so very cold. Her body was frigid, stiff, red lips twisted away into a hideous growl, her face screwed in anger, in repulse, eyes so very wide….

The warmth was so good.

So strong.

So very strong.

_Yes._

Her voice was vapid whisper.

"Where did you get that?"

A fire burned inside of me.

"You know where."

Her eyes went white.

"_You._"

I grinned.

And then, the door slammed open.

It wasn't the door on the right, the one which I had first come in with; it was from the left, from a hidden door at the far end, in the shadowy corner, black wood slamming back against golden-washed gravel. The icy air snapped, the loud boom resounding through the room, a slap of light in such a cold, cold world, the blade burning in my quivering hand as I snapped my head around, away from Hel, just for a moment, an instinct acting to the sound-

And saw a golden figure burst through the icy wind.

A familiar figure.

_Balder._

I let out a gasp.

_Finally._

There he was, the golden man, the tall, golden god, standing against the dark, icy wall, frizzy blonde hair whirling in the white wind-

And beautiful.

So utterly beautiful.

_Finally._

It was him, it was Balder, crashing into the room, his blonde hair like an angel's halo, bright and fair, the fire light dancing upon his screaming, bronze cheekbones; his naked chest was damp with sweat, his entire body shuddering as he heaved in and out, panting, wheezing, trails of gold quivering against his dire breath. Dusky skin gleamed with the sheen of sweat, his biceps tensed and frigid, glossy and strained, veins bulging dark and blue. His perfect, bronze chest was so violent, his sculpted nose flaring as he puffed, winded, breathless, icy firelight pirouetting about his lusty skin; the chest was bare, completely bare except for the strap of his quiver, a tight black belt of leather and threading, dancing gold. His pants were dark, his belt tight, and in his hands, in his sweaty, tired fingers, his trusty, black-gold bow swung tight, taut and ready. Golden arrows poked up against his back, bright glaring arrows, suns in a cold, cold world-

But his face.

His face was just enough.

_Finally._

There it was, Balder, my Balder, a silly grin, a handsome face, a pair of bright, beautiful eyes, child's eyes, laughing eyes, beaming across the whipping cold, dancing with the light of icy flames. His lips were turned, smiling, always smiling, his entire face so bright, so very bright and warm, like a star, like our own sun-

And I couldn't help it.

I had to grin back.

_Finally._

Blue eyes laughed.

"Can't keep out of trouble, can you dame?"

The sword burned in my hand.

_Finally._

Will gasped.

For a moment, I just stood there, pointing the sword, staring, gaping at him, switching lanes in my brain as my mind registered his smile, his goofy, silly smile, his laughing, wild blue eyes, warm eyes, beautiful eyes, welcoming, so very welcoming to Hel's own icy orbs-

And then, I threw a glance back at her.

_Hel._

She was still there, at the edge of my glowing, warm sword, crawled on the table, dark hair trickling, the hole gaping behind her like a dragon's icy, black mouth; her head was turned now, away from me, her horrible, monstrous face, her torn, putrid dress rustling in the icy cold as she turned to the left, shadowy hair falling, bone crown gleaming-

And looked at Balder.

Without a word.

I couldn't even see her face anymore.

Her horrible, horrible face.

_Thank God._

Will's breath was shallow behind me.

_Finally._

I gripped the burning sword even tighter.

"What took you so long?" I had to shout now, over the wail of the icy wind, over the whirling snow rushing in, my blade quivering as it kept pointed at the Queen of the Underworld; I tilted my head so slightly, ever so slightly towards Balder, an eye forever on the devil before me, warmth rushing through my veins, flooding me, steeling me, my heart screaming in my chest. Blood raced through my body.

The she-devil didn't stir.

Frozen.

Staring at Balder.

Just staring.

Staring.

_No longer at us._

_Thank God._

My heart wouldn't shut up.

_Thank God._

Balder's voice pierced through the icy gale, its normal, firm, accented tone, loud and clear through the whipping snow.

He didn't even need to shout.

"Hello. Hell hounds."

For a second, no one spoke.

Will breathed, hot and slow, far behind.

Ice screamed.

And then, with a twisted scowl, I turned fully to face him, ignoring Hel, ignoring the cold, ignoring the short dark blonde strands curling across my eyes, a sudden irritation blooming beneath my skin, fierce and furious.

A very familiar irritation.

_Fucking hell-_

"What? You couldn't handle a couple of dogs?"

A short pause, and then Balder swung his long bow to his hip, golden curls whipping.

"Oh. And you could have done it better, me dame?"

"I could've been faster, if that's what you mean-"

"Alright then! Next time, _you _take the smelly, snappy little doggies, while _I _rescue prince charming-"

"No way!"

"Oh, that's right! Stick _me_ with the dirty work, that's all! Always the dirty work! Balder, do this. Balder, do that. Balder, go away and clean up and get bitten by a bunch of bugs- never ever-"

"Just stop complaining, you idiot-"

"But I _never_ get to rescue the pretty ones! I _always_ get stuck with the dirt-"

"Oh, really-"

"Yes-"

"Oh yeah…and what about dinner last night then? Or the night before…you _always _make me do the gutting-"

"Balder."

It was a cold voice, a horrible, icy voice and all of sudden-

I remembered where I was.

_Hel._

I snapped back, hair flying, muscles springing alive, ready to attack, to defend, to push Will back against the wall, to give him room to make for the door, to do anything, everything, instinct kicking in as I swirled my head around, away from Balder and towards Hel, my body taut and ready-

And she was there.

On the table.

Standing.

_Shit._

She was no longer sprawled, no longer reaching out for me, claws a ready, a monster within reach; instead, she was standing, tall and pale, a ghost, a daemon, a living statue of ice, pale, naked feet firm against the fluttering dead petals. Her rotten dress swirled, dark and haunting, the black chandelier rocking insanely as the cold storm rushed in through the hole, white and icy, black hair screaming. Bitter eyes, cold, icy orbs stared towards Balder, pale skin ghastly and ashen. Bone crown gleamed, blood dripping down temples, black as night.

Icy fires screamed.

Sword burned warm.

Balder turned away from me.

In the glow of the cold room, the golden-washed walls, the god, my companion, turned his laughing, blue eyes away from me and towards the monster on the table, golden curls giggling, bronze skin gleaming, chest still heaving rapidly against the black strap. His smile dimmed, like a star fading into night-

But by just a little.

He was still grinning.

_Idiot._

His smile came, all white teeth and golden laughter.

"Hello, sister."

Hel didn't say a word.

For a moment, I just stood there, sword shivering in my warm hand, the blade glowing bright, a beautiful sun, the icy cold biting, fighting against the heat of my body, frigid and terrible, howling madly-

And they just stood there.

At the end of the room.

On the table.

Staring.

At each other.

_Damn._

Without a word, I began to inch back, back towards Will, boots shuffling through the moaning wind, crunching against a thin layer of whipped snow, robes rustling, stirring thick, the sword still in my hand as I pulled back, towards Will, towards his weak warmth; it was looking like an odd picture, a beautiful painting.

Poetic.

On one side, on our side, Hel was ice, cold and bitter, skin pale, hair dead, her entire body cold and frigid, a horrible, horrible gnashing chill-

And on the other side, at the other end of the room, Balder was fire, beautiful, golden laughing fire.

Fire and ice.

_Fire and ice._

_Damn._

I felt Will's cold, weak fingers tug at my belt again.

Hel spoke.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again," she said it so quietly, so very quietly yet even in the howl of the icy blizzard I could hear her fine, perfectly, an icy breath whispering between her cold, dead lips, her dark hair shivering about her icy, beautiful face. Blood dripped from her bone crown, dark, dark blood, a single black drop staining the putrid rotten colour of her dress.

Her teeth were no longer sharp.

Her eyes were frost.

_The frost queen._

Balder's grin was like the sun.

"Well, neither did I," He seemed so happy, too happy against her dark, pallor silence, his handsome face bright and alive, blue eyes wild and free among the flurry of his whipping golden curls, looking at his sister, and only at his sister, "You did stick me beneath the earth."

I moved closer to Will.

Her voice was ice.

"For our own protection."

Something twisted in his smile.

"Guess that didn't work out, eh?"

Her lips were too red.

"Guess not."

For a moment, no one spoke, their eyes, their same, blue eyes looking at each, frost against laughter, his dusky skin so odd, so peculiar in the whipping snow rushing in, her dark hair flying Medusa-wild, free in the gale; Will's fingers were weak, so frail, digging poorly against my robed back, and I reached out behind him, grabbing his hand again, giving him strength, the sword rushing warmth through my very skin. Blade glowed, bright and brilliant, so very beautiful-

But I didn't drop it.

Not for a second.

Not with her still in the room.

Not with Will still so unsafe.

_Not yet._

Her voice cut, ice against ice.

"Then you finally figured out a way, then," her 'r's were rolling, her breath icy and taut and so very silent, quiet and surreal in the howling cold, blood dripping from her crown, "After all those years, little brother, you finally found a way past our spells-"

"Oh no," he shook, grinning, blonde hair laughing, cheekbones flaring, chest growing still, lashes thick and long, something odd twisting in his mirth, bright eyes, "I'm not that powerful. Not yet- not fully healed yet, you know. This body, it's still-"

"But then how-"

"The child," and then he nodded at me, throwing a glance in my direction, a flicker of a frown as he gazed over me, blue eyes flaring for just a second; panic seized me, bright and furious, and I turned to Hel again, breath catching in my throat, icy and brisk. Will's fingers froze, suddenly paralysed, my sword gleaming, eager as my body sprung awake, ready, instinct kicking me alive-

And she just looked at us.

A single, icy glance.

A horrible glance.

_Oh God._

Her eyes were dead.

_Oh God._

And then, she turned away from us again, pulling back, black, black hair whipping as she turned her steely, icy, terrible eyes at Balder again-

Who didn't seem to see, to notice how horrible they were.

How horrible she was.

_Or maybe he did._

_Maybe he didn't care._

Will's breath was too shallow.

_Oh God._

Her voice was icy daggers.

"Her?" the crown was so white, so very white, her voice dark, quiet, the wind howling through the wall, snow and ice pouring in, her slim profile dark and beautiful, the rotten dress fluttering cold and bloody, "She's naught but a babe-"

His golden smile told a million stories.

"A babe who found my sword."

The blade burned.

"A mortal?"

Blue eyes flashed.

"Nothing more."

For a moment, there was silence again, icy, cold silence, the wind howling, filling up the gap, Will's fingers squeezing tight in my palm as I took another step back, back towards him-

And then, another icy glance in our direction, at me, at the burning, glowing blade.

I couldn't breathe.

_Oh God._

Her eyes were so, so cold.

Too cold.

_Oh God._

"What can I say? The blade likes her." Balder's voice was warm, bright, a little laughter, a little mirth, the usual flippancy, the usual airiness; but my eyes could only see the bone crown, the black hair, the dead skin and the icy, icy eyes, Will's fingers cold and miserable in my hand-

And then, she turned back again, slightly, back towards her brother at the other end of the room. Her body was still turned towards us, high up on the table, but her face and eyes were away, back at Balder, no longer on us, no longer leeching the very life, the warmth right out of our souls….

Will's icy hand trembled.

I squeezed harder.

_We need to get out of here._

Her voice was silent.

"But…" her voice fell, so suddenly, so oddly, and even though it was icy, even though it was horribly cold, there was something in it now, something gentler, something sadder, her horrible eyes turned towards Balder, out of our sight, rotten dress tearing through the whirling white snow; a single hand, a pale, icy hand reached up from the folds of the torn livid, and clutched over her heart, as if aching, as if in pain.

Her voice fell like icy snowflakes.

_Oh God._

"But…but my child," she whispered, so soft, so terribly silent in the howling wind, my body shivering, the sword burning heat right to my heart, Will's hand so cold, so dead, "My Rygor… I felt his demise, his fiery pain-"

A little stretch to Balder's warm grin.

"Got meself a brave little heir, haven't I?"

No one spoke.

For a terrifying, icy minute, no said a word.

No one even breathed.

_Oh God._

Without a word, fingers tight around the shivering, glowing blade, still up and ready, I threw a glance back at Will, hair flying, cutting through the cold-

And saw his eyes.

His terrified eyes.

His pained eyes.

His exhausted eyes.

His golden eyes.

_Will._

I squeezed his hand.

_Will._

And then, Hel's voice sliced through the cold.

Burning ice.

_Hel._

Without a sound, I pulled away from Will's eyes, from his bright, golden eyes, his awaken eyes, squeezing his icy hand in my own as I turned back to the both of them, to the two gods, to brother and sister-

And held my breath.

"Clever."

Balder's grin widened, teeth gleaming like a thousand suns.

My heart screamed.

"It was, wasn't it?"

Her dark was wild, caught in the gale.

Her hand sank back to her side, cold and dead.

Her rotten dress tore, putrid and decayed.

I couldn't see her face.

_Oh God._

Her voice was ice.

"Using a mortal, an outsider, to break down the curses that were meant to keep you in-"

His grin was like a child's.

"You didn't lock the outside very well."

Will's cold hand trembled.

"Very clever."

A cheeky flash of brilliant blue.

"Clever? More like brilliant."

Dark hair whipped.

"More like luck."

Icy fires screamed.

"Same thing."

Silence.

And then, Hel spoke again.

A whisper.

A mere, breath of ice.

"How long has it been? For you? Up there?"

Something dark flashed across Balder's grinning face.

Something very, very dark.

_Oh God._

"4000 years."

Her voice came in sleek ice.

Smooth, perfect ice.

"Long time."

Something twitched in his grin.

"Long enough.

Blood dropped to her icy, naked feet.

Red against white.

Blood upon death.

"Long enough for what?"

Blue eyes screamed.

"Long enough to figure how exactly I'm going to kill you all."

Silence.

Cold, brutal silence.

_What?_

For a moment, no one breathed, the sword burning in my hand, feeding me strength, Will's fingers trembling as I gazed between Hel and Balder, between the icy black and the stirring gold, blue eyes, identical blue eyes meeting across the swirling snow, watching each other, staring at each other, ice against fire, death against life-

And then, Hel spoke.

Like ice.

"We had to protect ourselves. The prophecy-"

"You hunted me."

It was a white smile, a bright, golden smile, his words fresh and accented, his golden curls laughing, frizzy against his bronze, broad shoulders, blue eyes flaring, brilliant, bright as skies I haven't seen in weeks-

Bright.

Too bright.

Much too bright.

_Oh God._

I squeezed Will's cold fingers.

Snow bit skin.

_Oh God._

Again, silence screamed, the wind howling, tearing, gnashing, black cold yowling through the broken hole in the wall, snow wailing in white and pure, biting into my skin, gnawing against my bones. Will's fingers clutched in my palm, cold and trembling, so very weak, the sword lancing into the icy cold, bright and reassuring, protecting us-

And Hel stood in silence, cold and icy.

_Oh God._

Balder was smiling too much.

Too, too much.

"Hunted me, like an animal."

His curls laughed.

His eyes screamed.

_Oh God._

Hel's bloody lips barely moved.

"You were going to be the death of us," she was ice, pure, pure ice, her cold, cold eyes looking at her brother's smile, his perfect teeth, his too blue eyes, "You will kill us-"

There was just something wrong with that smile.

"I hope so."

I couldn't breathe.

Icy flames screamed.

For a moment, no one spoke, and then Hel breathed.

A whisper of horrid ice.

"Is that it then?" her skin was too white, too, too white, a monster, a ghost beneath the rocking black chandelier, "Is that why you are here? Revenge?"

Silence.

Icy, black, whirling silence.

Will's hand shuddered.

Black robe rustled.

Balder smiled.

_Just smiled._

_Oh God._

Hel's voice was a nightmare.

"You know you cannot kill us, little brother. You, of all people know the gods can't die-"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you."

Golden curls laughed.

Arrows beamed.

Cold snow whipped against bronze chest, pale, weak against the dusk.

Eyes screamed.

_Balder._

"I'm going to hunt you. All of you. Every single one."

I shuddered.

His smile was so twisted, so bitter, so very sick, eyes flashing, bright and blue, golden curls laughing, horrid and malice, something so dark, so haunting-

So wrong.

So very wrong.

_Balder._

No one spoke.

No one even breathed.

Ice swirled, cold and frigid, and I held on to Will's hand, forcing myself to breathe, to live, to understand what Balder was saying, to stay focus, to concentrate, to keep the sword up, to keep us all alive-

Will's hand squeezed back.

_Balder._

Hel's voice was a brittle, cold wind rustling through the gold-washed room.

Snow screamed.

_Balder._

"That's unfortunate."

A howl pierced the icy night.

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Here we go! End of Chapter 2! Please let me know what you think, by sending me a review! Love them lots, really! **

**Thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, and until next time!**

**XOXO**


	4. The Queen's Pets

**Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Mean a lot to me! **

**Here we go!**

**Chapter 3: The Queen's Pets**

It was so clear, so very clear, a loud, piercing sound, stabbing through the cold wind, through the cold night, a twanging trailing noise twisting through the white gale. It crashed against walls, loud, brittle, a dragging wail in the icy storm, a horrible cry, rage against icy black. Sound pitched, moaning, baying.

I couldn't think.

A howl.

_A howl._

No one spoke.

No one even breathed.

For a second, the world seemed to freeze, everything stopping, everything ceasing, the wind deafening over as the howl echoed away into the icy whirl, fading against the golden-washed walls-

And then, another howl joined into the chorus.

A louder, nearer howl.

A howl.

_A howl._

My stomach dived.

_Oh God._

Will's whisper was a breath of fading warmth.

"What is that?"

Another yowl screamed in the distance.

My heart stopped.

_Hellhounds._

With a gasp, a cold, frigid gasp, I swirled around, through the snow, through the black wind, away from Hel and towards Balder, the sword stinging, burning bright in my hand; he was still there, at the other end of the room, golden and dark, blue eyes flaring bright at the goddess still standing tall and icy on the long dining table-

One more icy, tearing howl.

I practically screamed.

"I thought you said you handled them!"

Blue eyes, bright, twisted blue eyes flickered towards me.

Will's breath grew short.

_Damn i-_

And then, like a flick of switch, the darkness, the creeping, twisted, the haunting bitterness flashed out of his eyes, out of his twisting lips-

And he returned back to normal.

Normal, laughing, grinning Balder.

_Normal Balder._

The sword burned in my hand.

Will's icy fingers dug weakly into mine.

Black, black hair whipped.

_Normal Balder._

He grinned.

"Woah, Woah…" he raised up his bow, both hands pulling up in false defence, the glee, the hilarity jumping back into his bronze features, his blue eyes laughing again, completely ignoring his still, silent sister as he mocked me with a cheeky, bold grin, the usual Balder grin, "I never said anything about _handling _them-"

"But that was your job!" There was another howl, a howl on top of a howl, loud and clear, brittle and sharp, a stab down the spine, a knife through the gut, Will's fingers so cold, too cold, "You were supposed to get rid of the hounds, while I rescued Will-"

"And I did get rid of them-"

"Then what the fuck is that?"

"Well, momentarily."

Another howl bayed through the glacial night.

Ice bit into skin.

Will's fingers shuddered.

Something burned in my throat.

"Moment-you were supposed to _kill_ them!"

"Well, you didn't say _that-_"

"I didn't say…" I trailed off, my voice aching, my hand burning, and then I dropped the sword, back down to my side, Will's fingers too cold, my mind racing as rage crashed through my veins, hot and alive, "I told you to get rid of them!"

He jabbed his bow in my direction.

"Yes! Exactly! Get rid of them. Not _kill_-"

"Of course I meant kill them, you freaking idiot!"

"How was I supposed to know that? Next time, make it clear, me dame- you can't blame me for thinking that getting rid of them simply means locking them up in the cellar-"

"YOU LOCKED THEM UP IN THE CELLAR?"

"Yes….I-I mean, nooooooo," he shook his head, dragging, accent thick, his face screwed up in an obvious, dramatic lie, taking a step back, away from me, waving his bow as if in defence, "I absolutely did _not _lock them up in the cellar-"

"You're the worst god in the entire universe, you-"

"Oi! Give me a break, would'cha? It's been 4000 years-"

A howl screamed through the ice.

Loud.

Clear.

Near.

_Too near._

My mouth went dry.

_Oh God._

Hel's voice was ice.

"You better run."

It came out nowhere, out of absolutely no where that for a moment, I wasn't sure that she was even there anymore, a whisper, a play of the icy wind, chilling my heart, stopping it forever-

But she was there.

Always there.

Though no longer on the table.

_Oh God._

She was in a chair now, one of the tall black thrones, those Gothic, creepy thrones, sitting at the head of the long, golden-washed table, poised, upright, her skin so pale, so very dead. Black hair, black as the icy world outside, black as hell, shivered about her pretty face, her pallid, ghastly face, her rotting, putrid dress flowed perfectly about the icy throne, the flesh of the dead splayed out against black rock. Pretty, perfect hands folded together atop the black table, among the swishing dead petals and frosted food, crops of snow cresting upon her fetid shoulders. The bone crown gleamed, cold firelight washing over twisted white knobs and bloody veins. A red dot, black and new, spotted through the icy tops of her livid shoulders.

A tear of blood trailed down her temple.

Icy orbs stared at Balder.

_Fuck._

_When had she moved off the table?_

Another howl, baying, wailing, somewhere beyond the wall behind Balder.

Icy wind screamed.

_When had she moved?_

Her voice was like stab through the heart.

An icy, dead stab.

"Normally, I would withdraw my darlings upon arrival of any sibling," she could only see Balder, and only him, her dark hair shivering in the icy gale, a pale shadow against the ravaged hole in the wall to the outside, icy Underworld, "But in your case, little brother, I shall make an exception."

Balder's wink was a blaze of blue against bronze.

Cheeky.

Bold.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

And then, with a shake of bright, golden curls, Balder nodded towards me, a simple, quick nod, the brightness, the glee dimming in his face slightly, twisting, turning, the bright smile crooking into something a little more rigid. His head bobbed in my direction, jaw tightening slightly, his blue, blue eyes fixed upon his creepy sister. It was just a nod, a simple, uncharacteristic nod, plain and silent-

But it didn't take an idiot to guess what he meant.

It was so obvious.

_Get over here._

_Now._

For once, I didn't argue.

Without so much as a word, I held on to the burning, bright sword, grabbed Will's frigid hand and began to drag him, moving quickly, half-dragging, half-running, an eye still fixed on the silent, icy Hel, ears pricked for any other sounds-

A chorus of howls.

Loud.

Near.

Angry.

_Shit._

I moved faster.

Behind me, Will was still so weak, so limp, his body moving heavily, sluggishly, his feet sliding against the gold-washed gravel; but I pulled him, persistent, sliding by the roaring, icy fireplace, the horrible fireplace, breaching the length of the doomed painting above to the other side of the room. The blade's heat still surged within me, keeping me warm, keeping me alive, giving me strength as I pushed against the howling icy wind, the thin layer of snow crunching beneath our boots, Will's fingers so weak, so heavy, his weight pulling us down-

And then Balder reached out and pulled us over towards him, grabbing the sleeve of my black robe and pulling me, dark, warm fingers digging into snow-covered black, dragging us both along the edge of the table and right towards him.

Towards the end of the black table.

Directly opposite Hel.

Right into her sight.

_Oh God._

His breath was hot and fiery.

"We need to get out of here," it was whisper, and for a rare moment, a completely rare moment, Balder's smile left his face, the wrinkles creasing away into sternness, into wiriness, golden curls still and silent in the whipping white cold; he pulled me towards him, close, a breath apart, Will's hand slipping behind me as he struggled to stand on his own two feet, his body slack and weak, his feet shuffling through the snow behind me. I couldn't see him, not now, but I could feel his hand, his icy fingers, his body slacking back, struggling to stand still, to stand strong-

But so weak.

So very weak.

The blade burned by my side, bright and hot.

Balder's eyes were tight.

_Damn._

I let go of Will's hand.

Just for a second.

"You think?" I whispered back, hasty, impatient, the annoyance and frustration still spitting forth as I looked up at his unfamiliar eyes, my newly-freed hand pushing away his clutching hot fingers. Hair whipped across my own, cold face.

My palm still felt so cold from Will's icy touch.

Howls screamed through the world.

_Near._

Balder's lips crooked into a half-smile.

His eyes shone a little bit.

Familiar again.

"You still mad at me, dame?"

"Of course I'm still mad!" I was still whispering, keeping my voice low, as low as his, so, so soft in the howling icy gale, glaring right up into Balder's lighting eyes, face screwed up in a tight frown, "Why is it that you can never, ever do as I say?"

His smile lit up even more.

All over again.

"Because I'm the god of freedom! The god of wild and liberty-"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am."

"Idiot. You're the god of happiness, and light-"

"Ergo, freedom."

"Don't _ergo _me-"

"Ergo. Ergo ergo ergo ergo ergo ergo ergo ergo ergo ergo-"

There was a crash of wood, in the distance, and then a sharp yap of deep barks.

Near.

Too near.

_Shit._

With a gasp, I whipped my head back, back towards Will, my fingers, my hand suddenly longing for his touch again; he was there, right behind me, slumped down on one of those black throne chairs, dark hair array, messy, wild, his black coat billowing in the icy cold, shoulders frosted with sprinkles of thin snow. His head was sideways, leaning against the carvings of tortured souls on the black back of the chair, his beautiful eyes, his dark eyes shut tight, close to the world. Skin stung, pale and icy, deathly white, his entire body slumped against the chair, as if in total defeat-

And so quiet.

So very quiet.

_Will._

My heart screamed.

_Will._

With a flurry, I turned back to Balder, gripping my sword, digging into it's heat-

_Wait._

_If I gave the sword to Will-_

_It's heat-_

_It's strength-_

_No_.

_No, I can't._

_Not if I want to protect him._

_Not if I want to defend him against those hounds…_

_No._

_No._

_I just have to get him out of here._

Dark brown eyes opened slightly, staring right at me.

_Will._

My breath came out in a whispered fog.

"We need to get out of here."

Balder's grin pulled a sarcastic twist.

Howls chorused into the night.

"Right. Now, if only we had an escape route-"

"We did have an escape route, you idiot!" I snarled, voice still so low, still whispering, my eyes forever flicking over my shoulder, towards Will's still, icy form, my stomach gnawing, my heart tugging, my entire body urging to rush over to him, to hold him, to keep him safe and warm, anger tearing through my soul, "_You _were supposed to make sure the way was clear, that the hounds were out of the way-"

"They were! They were in the cellar-"

"Right. Because putting a pack of wild, giant hounds of hell behind a wooden door was _such _a great idea-"

"It's your fault, dame. You didn't specify!"

"I didn't _need _to specify, you fucking-"

And then, the door exploded.

It was the door nearest to us, the door from which Balder had come in with, a million shards of black wood, splinters big and sharp, exploding across the icy whirl, a blast of wooden chips and metal hinges. Sound screamed, a loud bang, a mighty explosion as the door gave, absolutely and completely, tearing across the room in a million fragments, boom echoing, punch to the gut. Splinters soar, crashing against gravel and glass, caught in the icy gale-

And then, it pounced through.

A monster.

A demon.

_Oh God._

It was a dog, a big black dog as high as my waist, as long as a lion, a dark, huge beast, a monster out of this world; it was big, so big, a giant black beast crashing through the door, humongous, powerful. Sleek coat glistened, dark as night, dark as hell, an unbelievable black completely untainted, completely and utterly black, a horrible sheen of darkness, of whispering shadows. Paws moved, giant, perfect, claws of fiery black crunching down on thin snow, crushing the whirling ice; they were as big as my hands, bigger even, mighty foots pawing through the shattered splinters, claws razor sharp. Above, its legs were powerful, beautifully powerful, long, thick legs of glistening black fur, sweating, heaving, giant muscles of brute force taking each and every slow step. It's body was long, thick and long, a spanning, black back and a wide stomach, all rippling with glossy black fur, chest heaving in every painful, icy breath. Its tail was down, razor sharp, a long dark tail like a whip, biting black; it swung behind, between its massive, powerful hind legs, its tip sharp, fur black as hell. Paws moved, silent, deathly, crushing splinters.

My heart stopped.

_Oh God._

It's neck was powerful, so very powerful, thick muscles bulging beneath black, black fur, riveting, twisting, black as hell outside, thick around as my waist; it's chest was broad, thick and black, and above, high above the ground, high above it's crushing, black claws, its face was short, muscles strained and tight about its stout head. It's jaw line was short, its snout square and firm and up above, among the rippling black fur, it's short ears were flat back, angry, furious. It's snout was ripped with muscles, no whiskers, just strained, tight black, its black nose as large as a fist; it's mouth was open, and hanging through, gleaming bright against the icy gold-wash, its teeth were sharp, horrible and bloody. White, gleaming incisors tore down and up, a mouth of terrible sharp teeth, fangs of glistening white stained with dried blood; a tongue licked, a bloody red tongue, saliva dripping, greedy and hungry, between the white daggers, bloodcurdling teeth gnashing together. They were horrible, menacing, dreadful, dreadful fangs, hot, rotten breath panting in between, foul and brutal, a sickening lurch to the stomach, drool dripping liquid hot to the snow, melting away ice at touch. Eyes, red, blasted eyes stared silently, glaring bloody; just red, completely red, no pupils, no no whites, just red, a deep, torching, fiery red, embers of scorching flames, twisting, screaming fires, a peek into the very depths of hell-

Rygor's eye.

They were the same things.

They were just like Rygor's eye.

Bloody, hellion eyes.

_Hellhound._

A deep, black growl throttled through the room.

A horrible growl.

_Hellhound._

I screamed.

I didn't know why- I just had to, letting it rip from my lips, right out of my soul, and before I could even think, before I could even breathe, I leaped away from Balder's safety and right in front of Will, muscles screaming, sword snapping up into the icy storm, blood crying at the sight of the monster-

Because it was terrifying.

Absolutely terrifying.

It stood a little ways from where the door had once been, crushing down on snow and black splinters, pawing slowly into the room, the growl humming through its black, black throat; it was so silent, so very silent for such a huge beast, its ears flat, its tail straight, its entire muscular body rippling like shadows, whispery, black shadows. Snow melted beneath drool, sizzling like on fire, red eyes, horrible, horrible flaming eyes staring through the whipping snow, right at us as it slowly walked through the broken wood, never blinking, never stirring. Teeth glistened, wet and hungry.

Breath panted, hot and foul.

It's paw made not a sound_._

_Oh God._

Red eyes glared, bloody and cruel.

_Oh God._

I couldn't breathe.

Behind me, Will had staggered out of his seat, his breath hot and furious against the naked skin of my neck, panting, violent, so utterly rapid; I couldn't see him, not really, but I knew he was scared, terrified out of his wits, bloody petrified-

Because that was exactly what I was.

I was horrified.

Completely and utterly horrified.

_Hellhound._

The world froze.

_Oh God._

In my hand, the blade was giving me strength, burning quick, burning bright, a star in a cold, cold world, pointed straight, light, ready, fingers digging into the fiery gold, the red ruby staring up into the ceiling, furious and raging, the silver blade a dash of light against the glistening black of the beast's coat; I held it before me, protecting me, protecting us, my body shielding Will as much as I could, but my arm was already quivering, shuddering, trembling.

Terrified right out of my mind.

_Hellhound._

I had seen them before, seen the hellhounds from distances, far away, marching across the gates from the safety of jagged rocks and branching mountains, but never this close, never in the same room, never within a pouncing chance of torture and blood-

I felt so sick.

So very sick.

My mind was racing, racing and racing and racing, but I could do was stand there, still, mute, frozen between the monster and Will, my heart stopped in horror, my mouth so very dry-

And then, Balder's voice came out in a jovial grin.

"Hello, puppy!"

A black lip lifted, snarling, white fangs glistening.

The growl tore through my soul.

_Oh God._

"Awww….he remembers me!"

My throat was on fire.

"Balder, _shut up-_"

"Well, you have to admit. They _are _sort of cute."

Will's breath was so hot.

"Cute?" I hissed, never once taking my eyes off the creature, off its fiery, hellion eyes, its screaming, flaming eyes, its black paws crushing everything underneath them as it skulked forward, breathing, black nostrils flaring, its foul breath thick and foggy in the icy gale, a monster, a horrible devil right before my eyes, coming straight towards us, "It's going to _kill _us-"

"Maybe. But it's still sort of adorable-"

And then another one, a black, horrible monster, a silent hellhound prowled in behind the first, smaller but just as horrible, terrible, terrible black.

The same, horrible fiery eyes.

_Oh God._

I pushed back against Will.

_Oh fucking hell._

"See? Gorgeous!"

It came out as a furious scream.

"BALDER! DO-"

And then, one of them lunged at us, at Will and I, teeth gnashing, black fur glistening, bloody eyes narrowed and cruel-

I screamed, pulling back, crashing against Will, gripping the sword, swinging, too slow, too, too slow-

And then, it pulled back, back away from us, a lunge that never succeeded.

A lunge that was never meant to succeed.

A tease.

A mock.

_Playing with the food._

My entire body screamed.

Will grabbed my robe.

_Food._

Balder chuckled.

"Ooh. Playful."

I could barely speak.

"Balder," it was a whisper, my eyes caught by the red orbs, the horrible red orbs, the very depths of hell staring right at me, hungry, famished, "Do something."

The smaller one licked its lips.

_Food._

I couldn't breathe.

Balder sighed.

"Oh, all right," he heaved, and then reached back a bronze, muscular hand and hooked his bow to his quiver, the click of leather loud and clear against the rumbling growls, and then he turned around, back to the table. I didn't dare look, not for a moment, focusing all attention on those horrible eyes, those gnashing, gleaming teeth, my stomach sick, my body trembling, concentrating on Will's meek hold of my robe behind, making sure that he never, not once, ever let go-

Balder's voice cut, fire through ice.

"Here we go!"

And then, with a swish flick of dusky muscles, he tossed a huge, fleshy roast beef towards the two hounds, right at the feet, gravy flicking through the icy wind, the pound of meat crashing to the floor with a loud thud. It landed, near to the smaller hound, near its feet, a diversion, a distraction, a bargaining chip-

Which they duly ignored.

They just kept glaring, right at us, the growls trembling right through our souls, their muscles rippling, their chests heaving, snarling white teeth flashing in the gold-wash, eyes burning, scorching with flames. Paws crunched forward, silent as hell.

Coming closer.

_And closer._

_And closer._

My breath whispered out in foggy ice.

"Guess they like their food fresh."

Balder's voice was a grin.

"And raw."

And then, ice shattered through the world.

"You have lost again, brother."

My spine prickled.

It was Hel.

_Fuck._

In light of all things, I had completely forgotten about her, in the swirling cold, I risked one glance away, away from the hellion beast's, back towards the goddess; she was still there, at the head of the table, completely opposite from us, dark, dark hair swaying, skin sickly and dead. Putrid, livid dress flapped against the wind, torn against the icy gale, her crown of bones gleaming bright and haunting, twisted and sick. Black blood trailed down her right temple.

Eyes stared, dead ice.

Completely cold.

_Hel._

Will's head turned as well, back at the queen, dark hair wild.

The hot blade shivered in my grip.

Growls trembled.

_Hel._

Balder didn't even bother to turn back.

"Once again, sister, you underestimate me," he said simply enough, still staring at the hound, golden curls laughing, a dark grin splaying across his handsome face.

I swirled back towards the approaching hounds.

The horrible monsters.

_Damn it._

Hel's voice was ice.

Smooth, pure ice.

"There is no way out, Balder," I didn't want to look at them, at any of them, my attention, my very existence focused on two hounds before us, the two snarling hell beasts, fingers gripping the sword, ready to attack if they so much as flinched, breath shivering, body trembling, Will's icy fingers digging desperately into my robe, "You will go back, into your cell, and rot away the rest of your existence, to the ends of eternity. Your rebellion will go unpunished, but you must return-"

There was something dark in his voice.

"Really."

Red eyes glared, fires of hell.

Will's breath was hot and panicked.

My heart was screaming.

_Hold on._

Her voice came like the breath of winter.

The breath of the dead.

"The world needs us, little brother. You know that. This planet, this earth cannot function without us. You have, and will always be a threat to that-"

His voice came in a sudden, horrible snap.

Growls tore.

"They never needed us. Not after creation, and _you_ know that."

Red eyes glared, burning flames.

"Humans will always need us. They are nothing without their worshiping belief, in us or in Fate-"

Black fur glistened, dark, dark, whispering shadows.

"False belief."

Will's breath burned.

"Strong belief, and you are a promise against that, against our survival, against the humans' sanity-"

Ice screamed.

"A promise I intend to keep."

No one spoke.

Not a word.

Red eyes burned.

And then, two words, icy, icy dead words.

Terrible words.

"Very well."

The hounds bayed.

_Oh God._

With a twist of powerful muscles, the two hell hounds knocked their heads up the ceiling and howled, loud and clear, so very terrifying, stabs of horror plunging into my heart as the sound screamed throughout the entire room, a warning, a horrible, horrible wail-

And then, they turned back to us.

Burning, scorching eyes.

_Oh God._

I couldn't breathe.

They both began moving now, faster, prowling towards us, sharp daggers gnashing, red eyes flaming, monsters heading right towards us, their food, their entertainment, claws razor sharp against gold-washed gravel, eyes hungry, ravenous, ready to charge, to sink their bloody teeth into our flesh, to rip us all apart-

And then, Balder was by our sides.

His smile was back, a thick, cheeky golden smile, spread across his dusky skin, cheekbones flaring, golden curls laughing, blue eyes bright and alive-

And happy.

Too happy.

Black paws marched, dark beasts moving in, coming closer.

Will's fingers dug deeply, pathetic, cold.

Sword burned.

_Oh God._

I couldn't stop trembling.

Balder grinned.

"As I said before, pretty," he beamed, nodding back at Will, as if the two hounds weren't closing in on us, coming in for a patient, silent kill, dread and horror pulling at my heart as I gripped the blade, fighting back the urge to scream and cry, to fall to my knees, to completely give up, warm breath hot and strong against my neck, "Now. We've got to rescue a face like that, eh?"

Fiery eyes neared.

Black bodies heaved.

_Will._

My voice came out in a sob.

"There's no way out," I shook my head, body shuddering, sword trembling, the heat still alive but not good enough, not good enough to get rid of the fear, the downright, horrified fear, my entire body refusing to turn back to Hel again, black shadows moving closer and closer, taking their time, silent as night, "The only way is through that door…but those hounds-"

"Or out the window."

That stopped me.

For a moment, I frowned, puzzled, confused wherether I had really heard it, wherether my sanity was finally leaving me, the black hounds approaching slowly, devils on the prowl, Will's body cold and icy against my back, dismal and weak-

And then, Balder nodded back, a simple, golden flick towards the windows behind him.

The large Gothic windows.

The large, jagged hole.

The hole.

_The hole._

Synapses snapped in my brain.

My heart screamed.

_The hole._

_The giant hole Hel made._

My gaze flickered towards it, panting, heart stomping, glaring over at the giant hole in the wall, in the windows, a big, jagged hole where a black throne had been thrown through, cracked rocks and splintered black stone ripping away to reveal the icy blizzard outside, letting in the whipping, falling snow. It was large, from knee-length to ceiling, wide enough, tall enough…

My mind raced.

_The hole._

I glared at Balder, eyes wide, sword shivering hot.

Will gasped.

"Are…Are you crazy?" I gasped, staring at him, at his grinning lips, his laughing hair, risking a short glance back towards the approaching beasts, dark monsters melting out of the shadows, teeth gleaming bloody and pale, "We're forty stories up! We'll kill ourselves!"

Growls rumbled through the room.

Dark, lingering growls.

_Oh God._

Balder grinned like a child.

"But, Joey. You're already dead."

_Oh._

_Right._

I blinked, just for a second, and then I jumped into action; with my free hand, I reached behind and grab Will's digging fingers, his icy fingers and pulled him, lifting the sword, holding on to both of them with my life; adrenaline soared, hot and fiery as I lunged forward, dragging Will behind me, his limp, useless weight, pulling him as I surged ahead before Balder, cutting across him and the path of the hounds, towards the windows. The black beasts were near, but not too near to reach out and take us, not even near enough to cut down Will-

But I wasn't risking it.

I had to move.

_Move fast._

Will was so weak.

His fingers were cold, so very cold, and a quick glance behind revealed his pale face, his ghastly face, looking at me with terrified eyes, those dark brown eyes stirred black, stirred limp. Dark hair flew wildly, his legs still not strong enough, knees buckling over, his every strength, his every existence depended on me, to get him out of here, to get him safe, somewhere warm and nice to recover, to come back to life-

And I had to protect him.

I wasn't going to lose him again.

_Not again._

With a quick whirl, I pushed him forward, before me, through the icy wind, putting the sword and myself between him and the black hounds, shoving forward, towards the gaping black hole-

_Balder._

With a gasp, I turned back around, short hair tearing, black robe rustling, sword slicing through the cold, furious bright, mind racing, adrenaline screaming-

And Balder was still there, against the table, back to Hel, eyes flickering between the prowling dark, fire-eyed hounds and us, golden curls shivering. Gold arrows glistened against his back, naked chest heaving with each panted breath. His bow stuck against his quiver, flat against his back.

His hands hung free.

Defenceless.

Useless.

_Balder._

Red eyes burned.

My breath was ice.

"What about you?" I hissed, eyes rapid between the approaching black devils and Balder's own blue eyes, his laughing, free eyes, golden curls giggling, laughing in the wind.

Red eyes neared, burning closer, ever so closer.

Too close.

White daggers gnashed together.

_Oh God._

Balder grinned.

Without so much as a word and a glance back at the horrid hounds, he reached down to his belt, bronze fingers trailing, fiddling, searching-

Until he found his flute.

His wooden, gold-engraved flute.

_Oh._

With a devilish smile, a beaming, golden smile, Balder held up his flute, up against his chest-

And then, his fingers moved, strong and firm, familiar, practiced, sliding over the wooden holes and the graceful, delicate gold engravings, tapping here and there-

_Swish._

A long, sharp golden blade cut out from the bottom, right through the wood, as long as my forearm, stabbing to the ground. It was wondrously sharp, smooth and elegant, beautiful and bright, a stab of light in a cold, cold world. Blade licked clean, glowing with life.

A sword from a flute.

_Right._

_That._

With a Cheshire grin, Balder tossed the blade-flute up into the air, the wood and metal twisting around-

And he caught it smoothly, upside down now, the metal blade sticking up into the air, the body of the flute now nothing more then a hilt. Golden light stabbed through the ice.

Fiery golden light.

Red eyes burned.

_Right._

Balder winked.

"I'm right behind you."

I opened my mouth, to say something, anything, body sick and taut, eyes watching as the beasts neared, closer and closer, licking lips with bloody tongues, eyes watching, burning windows into the very soul of hell. Throat burned, fiery and flaming.

My heart screamed.

"We'll wait-"

"No," He shook his head, golden curls laughing, and then bobbed the blade-flute in his hand, sword gleaming like a sliver of the sun, bright and beautiful, a complete match with his glowing, bright smile, "Go. Don't wait. Head for The Styx. I'll come."

Icy wind slashed.

"But-"

There wasn't time.

The first hound pounced, alive and furious, a raging monster of teeth and claws, jumping up, aiming for Balder's neck, a golden blade slicing through the icy wind-

And I didn't have anymore time.

Not a second.

Without another glance, I turned and ran, pushing away all sound, all other thoughts, mind screaming, blood fuming as I raced down the length of the room, towards the giant hole, sword burning in my grasp. Howls screamed behind me, screeching yelps, thunderous roars, growls shuddering down to my very soul, squeezing my heart away, Balder yelling a fast, fierce laugh; but I didn't look back.

Not a glance.

Not a blink.

Not without paralysing me, terrifying the life right out of me-

A pained beastly scream tore into the night.

_Run, Joey._

Ice whirled, tearing against skin.

_Run. _

Will was already there, standing by the hole, leaning against the nearest black, clear window, staring out into the abyss beyond; he was slumped there, against the cracking gravel, head leaned against the carving black, dark hair whipped, caught away in the rushing icy wind, skin white as the snow. White fingers, pale ghostly fingers gripped along the edges of the hole, eyes dark out against the falling pale.

A howl ripped through the world.

_Run, Joey._

Icy fires roared.

_Run._

My lungs screamed.

It didn't take long, and within panted, icy seconds, I was there, skidding to a stop before Will, right in front of the hole, my black robe whipping, my short hair tearing, my ears, my mind trying to ignore everything, every horrible thing and focus all on Will. My mouth was so dry, my heart squeezing away as the blade burned furious in my hand, ice clawing through my skin; to my left, the hole was huge, giant, a gaping, torn gap, a crack into the gold-washed room. Jagged rock poked up, crumbling and cracked, splinters of glass and black rock stabbing from the bottom and from the top, the rough giant crack breaking all the way to the ceiling. Cold ice rushed in, bitter, icy snow, white and furious, and outside, the world was a blinding white, pale against black, the vision of the Underworld faded back against the bitter gale. Shadows twisted in the distance, dark shadows against liquid black skies, plains of ice and black stretching far away, darkness crouching at every corner-

But the snow was too thick to see.

Too white.

Too white.

_Too much._

I didn't dare look down.

Will's face was white.

"I can't."

It was whisper, a desperate, weak whisper and all I wanted to do was hug him, to hold him, to protect him until the ends of days, to make sure nothing bad ever happened to him, ever again, not even once….

_Will._

I dug Balder's blade back into my robes, into the sheath, letting the warmth trail from my hands, the fire, the strength leaving me all again.

Wounded screams pierced through the icy room.

My stomach twisted.

I grabbed Will's hand.

_Will._

I had to focus on him, and only on him.

Howls cried, baying high and horrible.

I squeezed his fingers.

_Will._

"We have to," I cried, staring at him, right into those dark eyes, those terrified, cold eyes, shouting over the rushing snow, throat choked and burnt, "It's the only way out-"

His voice was a ruined whisper.

"We'll die."

Balder laughed into the night.

Snow burned my cheeks.

_Will._

His eyes were so dark.

"Technically, we're already dead-"

I could barely him.

A murmur, a pained, miserable whisper over the gnashing ice.

Howls screamed.

"But it'll…it'll hurt-"

Ice stabbed daggers.

Cries bayed.

_Will._

"No, no, no, " I shook my head and grabbed his other hand, his icy, cold, weak hand, holding on to him as I pulled closer to his slumped form, looking at him, only at him, at his wild hair, his pretty face, his dark, dark eyes, ignoring everything, ignoring the world, "Will, we're dead. We can't…. nothing really hurts here. Not really. Nothing can cause us pain…nothing but the daemons. And those hell hounds-"

His skin was too white.

"It's too high…"

Balder laughed.

Ice screamed.

_Will._

I squeezed his fingers.

"We'll be alright."

Dark eyes flashed.

_Will._

For a moment, the world froze, my eyes on him, his eyes on me, my being, my soul falling away into the depths of his beautiful orbs, in his perfect, perfect soul, my eyes trailing over his hair, his shoulders, his chin, his cheeks, his lips, one of his cold, straggly fingers slipping away from mine and reaching up to my face, icy cold grazing weakly against my cheek, brushing my hair, shivering against the locks, his breath so warm, so hot, so very wonderful and perfect…

"OI!" it was shout, a bright, great shout, and I couldn't help but snap out of it, tearing from his gaze, from his struggling, trembling fingers and over my shoulders, back towards insanity; it was Balder, now pressed near towards the fire place, fair curls laughing, muscles flexing, the blade of his sword-flute glistening with dripping black blood, dark trailing to his bronze fingers. One of the hounds was missing, hidden somewhere behind the black table, but the smaller one, flat eyes and burning eyes was still active, growling, drool dripping, pawing black and dark towards Balder, its eyes like orbs of hell. Howls tore from a distance, not too far away.

A shadow slunk in from the gaping black doorway.

Red eyes burned.

_Another hellhound._

Balder's eyes flashed, blue and alive.

"GO!" he hollered, grinning like an idiot, and then, with a twisted laugh, he plunged against the smaller hound, bronze and gold cutting through the air, his sword gleaming bright and beautiful, bloody and hungry, furious red snarls tearing through the night-

And my body screamed.

_Go._

With a loud gasp, I turned back to Will, hands cold, fingers icy, dark eyes watching terrified and lost, his skin so very pale….

_Will._

Without so much as a thought, I pried my hands free from his icy weak grip, stretched up, tip-toed, and grabbed the sides of his face, bringing it down towards me. His eyes widened, shocked, and then, I planted a single, simple kiss against his icy forehead.

Fire stung against ice.

_Will._

Breath burned against his ice brow.

"Do you trust me?"

He pulled back, just slightly, our skins burning against one another as his dark, dark horrified eyes stared right down into mine, swirling with horror and blood, lips tight and bitter. Skin pulled, white and ghastly.

Dark hair tore.

Brown eyes screamed.

He nodded.

_Will._

I pushed him out the hole.

It was horrifying second, a paralysing second, but somehow, some way, the synapses snapped, the switch flipped, and I was shoving him out of the window, pushing him away from me and out into the empty darkness, the horrible whipping snow, his body falling away from my grip as he plummeted down, plunging, collapsing through black and ice, disappearing into the fog of snow as he screamed into the night, a horrible, horrible scream…

_Oh God._

My heart wailed.

_Oh God._

The scream was terrible, so very terrible, ripping through me, through my very soul-

But it was right thing to do.

I had to do it.

_I had to._

Balder laughed.

Ice screamed.

_Oh God._

For a moment, I was frozen, paralysed, completely dead, my ears listening, stomach flinching as Will's scream echoed into the blackness, trailing away, down, down, down, my throat burning as I gripped the cracking rubbles, staring out into the storm, the world nothing more than a blanket of clawing, icy snow, looking for him, searching for him-

But I couldn't see him.

Not a wink.

A howl screeched into the wind.

_Will._

Hel's voice was a stab in the back.

An icy, terrible stab.

_Oh God_

"You should go after him," she was still there, on the black throne, at the head of the table, a wondrous pale beauty looking at me and only at me, still and silent in the murder and blood at the other end of the room, black hair whipping, pale skin gleaming. Her rotten dress fluttered, wild and cold in the snow, flakes of white dotting her putrid dress, her delicate hands folded upon the black table, among the fresh food and dead petals. Red lips bit, dark and bloody, the bone crown bleeding against the side of her face, dripping black onto her shoulders.

Her eyes were frost.

_Hel._

My fingers clenched.

Snow whipped.

Balder laughed.

_Monster._

Something burned in my heart.

_Demon._

Her bloody lips smiled.

"Someone needs to protect him."

Her teeth glinted, sharp and beastly.

_Devil._

I jumped into the dark.

**+ End Of Chapter +**

**Well, there it was. Chapter 3. Considerably shorter then most of my chapters, but fun as hell to write! Will try to update soon so look out for it! Please also review this fanfic, telling me what you think about it. I seriously adore all your reviews and if you want to insult…I'm a big girl. I can take it! **

**Thanks for everything and see you soon!**

**XOXO**


	5. Running Through Hell

**Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs. **

**Ok. So, I'm trying to cut down on the descriptions here and there, so let me know what you think. Did I make a difference? **

**Anyway, here we go!**

**Chapter 4: Running through hell**

There is nothing in the world worst than falling to your death.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

_Nothing._

All around me, the world was a blur of ice and black, biting snow whipping against my helpless body, the darkness cackling as I fell through its embrace, desperate and lost, completely out of control. Wind snarled, crashing bright, tearing bloody, black robes fluttering up into the white night as my body fell without purpose, without meaning, my heart lost away, up in the sky; there was nothing but the cold, and the whirling world around me, snow dashing around, biting and growling. My body was lost, hopeless, falling helplessly down through the dark, tearing through the whipping snow, the ground beneath a rushing, reaching pale white as a scream tore from my lips, terror seizing me completely as I plummeted through the dark-

And landed flat in the snow.

_Thud._

It was a loud thud, loud enough to ring in my ears, and for a moment, all I could see was white, pale, starling white, my heart screaming in my chest, blood rushing hot and wild, my breath rapid and violent, burning in my lungs…

And the ground firm and cold beneath my body.

_The ground._

The wind howled.

_Thank God._

Beneath me, the ground was cold, icy and scattered, my face flat down, my body slumped stomach first against the icy powder, fingers clutching deep into the burning ash; it was snow, of course, icy, white snow, cushioning me, comforting me, burning through my robes, grazing against my skin. The chill burnt against my face, my nose buried deep in the icy white, cheeks scratched by banking cold as my body sank, defeated, helpless, breath ragged and hot, smouldering in my lungs. Hair laid lank, flat and short against my head, frozen at its tips, metal beads buried in ice; there was snow up my sleeves, burning against my warm arms, a lash of reality biting into my skin-

Only it didn't hurt.

Not really.

_Not really._

Snow singed against my ears.

_Not really at all._

The wind tore.

Beneath, the ice was cold and bitter, and all I could do was lay there, flat on the snow, staring down into the scattered white dust, ice burning in my eyes as my throat scorched with fire, my heart thudding, banging, booming in my heart, panicked and wild. Blood rushed, furious and vapid, soaring through my body, pumping through veins, through damn arteries, hot and raging, fighting against the frosty chill of the snow, ripping me apart; my breath was so loud in my ears, so very loud, booming and furious, chest heaving against the icy ground as I sucked in the cold air, acid wind burning against my hot breath, throttling my windpipe. Fingers burned, snow scratching and grazing and tearing into my tired, tired skin.

Nothing hurt.

_Not really._

Boots sank deep into trudging snow.

_Not really at all._

My heart screamed.

For a moment, I just laid there, staring down into the snow, ice burning my eyes, panting, heaving, my mind racing as my blood rushed through my body, my entire being flooded, buried by the whipping ice-

And then, with a soft moan, I began to push myself up, digging my fingers into the icy snow, neck straining to lift up my head as my arms ached into motion, pushing slowly, lethargically away from the burning white ground-

Pain exploded.

_Oh God._

It came like a wave, a brutal, savage wave, surging, crashing through my body, hot and violent, smashing through my every vein like a bolt of lightning through the heart; ache screamed, a horrible sting rippling through my body, through my blood, fires stabbing into my skin and lancing to the bone. Teeth gnashed as my head spun, a blanket of red engulfing my world as the pain, the horrible, horrible pain consumed me, writhing through my body, crippling me, muscles spasming as the pain rocked through my mind, tearing through my every senses, ripping me apart-

And then, just like that, it was over.

Completely over.

_Thank God._

It all faded away, as it always did, sinking into the earth, into the burning snow, the ripping, bloody pain fading out into the world, leaving my body, my soul, draining away like blood, thick and furious. Everything went, every ache, every little sting, dying into the icy world, fading into black, wilting into nothing all over again-

As if it had never even been there.

Not even a pinch.

_Nothing at all._

My breath tore through my throat, sucking in the icy air, panting furiously.

Lungs burned, screaming for air.

Muscles slumped, exhausted.

My heart screamed.

_Nothing at all._

Blood roared.

_Absolutely nothing at all._

Wind wailed.

_Damn, I really hate that._

My back was slumped, bent and tired, my entire body leaning back against the icy packed ground as I panted, gasping, wheezing in the desperate cold air, blood roaring through my ears as I gazed down at the snow, concentrating on breathing, on sucking in the icy air, on gathering up my strength again, snow biting against my skin as it whipped blindly through the dark, clawing across my limp body-

And then, with misty puffs and burning lungs, I slowly strained my head upwards, towards the blinding snow.

Muscles groaned in protest.

Tongue twisted bitter.

The world opened up.

_Great._

White screamed.

_Just great._

Up above, the blizzard rained white and brilliant, a world of ice crashing through the black night, a pale blanket against the trembling abyss of Hell. Snow screamed, white and flaky, pale tears trailing from the never-ending darkness, a blinding world of frigid, white ice. Cold wind shuddered, trembling through the falling white flakes, spirits of pale dancing in the falling torrent, twirling ghosts of white, laughing to the world; flakes caught in their dancing tail, white snow dashing in all directions, a wondrous dance of blinding ice weeping from the black night. Cold shivered, frosty, biting cold, the darkness black and stagnant in between as the blizzard rained a world of beautiful ice, covering, a curtain against the cruel dark. Whispers laughed in the biting, icy wind.

Darkness screamed.

It was wild up there, a wild beautiful world of gnashing, falling snow, bright tears of white biting against my skin, whipping against my body, harsh yet soft and fair, the wind dancing a bitter melody, blotting out everything-

Everything except the citadel.

_The citadel._

My breath caught.

_Hel's citadel._

Up to my left, stabbing out of the snow and tearing up into the white storm, was a black castle, a giant, black cliff piercing up into the white skies. It was a monolith, a jagged rock of the purest black against the white-whipped world, a creeping dark shadow against the shivering white; it was so large, so very tall, a giant black mountain by my side, smooth black rock gliding up into the wild darkness of the night. It was a misshapen crag of black, a mountain of perfect black rock and twisting arches, a dark, warped shadow in the middle of all the white, of all the laughing cold. Turrets of dark twirled through the storm, towers of sharp and black majestic and lonely high up in the darkened skies. There was no apparent design to it, no twisting edges of careful planning, no fanciful architecture, no gargoyles perched at windows watching with soulless eyes; it was just a rock, a strange, twisted, giant fortress, irregular and aimless, as if carved into a mountainside by a blind man.

A cruelly, twisted blind man.

Turrets stabbed dark and silent, the citadel's only obvious embellishments, the giant black crag narrowing as it rose, up into the storm. Rock carved, smooth and strong and untouched by any light, a ring of jagged black spikes around the middle, stabbing out into the night like cannons, dark and sinister. Windows hung, from middle to bottom, disappearing up into the far heights of the storm, dark, soulless windows, without light, without life, battered snow slamming against the foggy glass, begging to reach into the dark heart of Hel's citadel. There was no light, none at all, the monster of black untouched, unmolested, snow pounding against its shadowy sides, engulfing its dark towers and steeples.

Snow howled against the dark monster.

At the bottom, at its base, Hel's citadel was drowning in the snow, white, icy sea crashing against its sides, consuming it, licking against the craven dark rock, white against cruel dark; there, in the middle of the rock, looming large and silent, was the North Gate, a giant tear, a carved crack in the black mountain. It was a dark, gaping mouth hidden by the whipping snow, a giant arching gate firmly shut, black rock stabbing down into the icy white. Its chains rattled in the gale, black and dark, ringing dimly like low, unnerving bells, a dark melody in the wild tempest; there was nothing beyond it, no light, as above, a sinister, silent black gate, the dark North Gate, looming in front like the mouth of some terrible beast, ready to consume me, to devour me. No light flickered, nothing moved.

Nothing I could see anyway.

_Damn North Gate._

Up above, through the whipping snow, through the trailing, laughing wind and the icy onslaught of white and darkness, a single light gloomed, a bar of quivering gold, long and shivering, like an illusion in the wild storm. It was bright, trembling but bright, a perfect long bar of vivid gold, brilliant against the darkness of the black rock, muted in the wilds of the blizzard; its middle was bulged though, a giant misshapen blot in the middle of the long bar, a crack in the perfect gold-

The window.

The room.

Hel.

The hounds.

_Balder._

I groaned.

_Damn Balder._

It was so high up, that light, that windows and crack, that damn room, more then 40 stories up, half-hidden in the whipping snow, bright and startling against the horrid black-

And I had fallen from there.

I had plummeted from up there, 40 stories up Hel's citadel, into the whipping wind and icy snow, only to land right here, unbroken, unhurt, panting for my very breath-

_Not I._

It came as a zap, a flash of light across my mind, stilling my heart, freezing my breath, my eyes widening against the onslaught of the icy snow as I remembered-

_Will._

I was on my feet before I could even breathe.

_Will._

There was no more pain, none at all, but my muscles still ached from the exhaustion, from the effort, my jaw locked, my breath ragged and torn, my heart booming in my chest, screaming for attention, the whipping, white snow battering against my tired body, icy and horrible, pinpricks of hell-

But how could I have forgotten about Will?

How could I forget him?

_Will._

My boots sank into the snow.

Black robes tore through the ice.

My fingers were numb.

I screamed.

"WILL!"

There was no reply.

_Will._

Before me, the world was shimmering blanket of falling ice, snow flogging down against the white ground, against my body, soaking through the black robe, numbing my muscles as I trudged on, dragging my heavy feet through the icy sea. My breath was cold, too cold, my lungs burning as they panted for breath, mist spilling out of my mouth as my fair hair whipped back into the snow, Sparrow's carved medallion singing out a sad tune against my icy cheek as my heart jumped, bounced, panicked, maniac, burning eyes searching for any-

And then, I saw him.

_Will._

He was there, not too far from me, a dark figure sitting silently in the snow, through the whirl of ice, black jacket flapping against the icy gale, body slumped, back lazy and slouched, legs stuck out flat in weariness, hands clutching down into the ice for support, dark, dark hair caught in the white tempest-

And I threw at myself at him, hands reaching out and engulfing in an embrace. Knees slid across the snow, black robes fluttering in annoyance as I threw myself through the fog of ice and towards him, tired, numb arms wrapping around, tight, never letting go. Boots skidded, my short hair laughing, Sparrow's beads chiming as my dried lips cracked into a wry smile-

And I hugged him, never letting go. Aching arms wrapped around his cold, cold body, his dark hair crashing into my face, my black robe fluttering against us both. Cold skin burned against my own, furious and violent, so very icy in the world of cold, white snow, my cheek pressing helplessly against his forehead as I drank in the relief, happy to see him, to touch him, to know that he was alright. Icy hands froze beneath me, his entire body frigid, shocked senseless-

Then, he relaxed, and Will's arms made their way weakly around me, slow and tired, pulling me close. They were icy, so very icy, but I sank towards him, into his embrace, holding him close and letting him envelop me, icy arms burning through the cloth of my black robes. Forehead stung, cold and sharp, cruel against my own cheek, but his breath was warm, so very warm, hot air kissing against my neck as he sighed against my skin. Fingers dug into my back, icy daggers, his legs dragging slowly through the snow to push against me, pulling me closer, right towards him, hot lips brushing against my neck-

And I wanted him.

I _wanted _him.

Two weeks of despair, of pure agony, of muffled tears and broken heart, of cruel longing, and malicious anger-

And I wanted him.

I _needed _him.

I needed him to take me, right then, right now, to pull me into his icy grip, to taste his warm breath against my own, to feel his icy hands _all over me_-

I wanted him.

I _needed _him.

Right now.

Right here.

I didn't care if we were in hell, outside Hel's citadel, in a freaking blizzard of the Underworld, within dangerous distance of flesh-ripping, red-eyed hell hounds-

Because I needed him.

I needed him.

_Now._

I wanted him to touch me, to feel me, to consume me, to devour me, to love me until all the worlds faded to black-

"Don't."

It was a whisper, a weak, weak whisper, hot against my neck, but it was enough for me to freeze, to let the cold engulf me again, my fingers turning numb at that simple, simple word-

And then, he pushed me away, very gently, icy hands sliding off my back and down towards me arms, pushing me back very softly, very slowly, fingers gripping weak and frail…

And I moved back.

Slightly.

_Will._

He was still holding me, fingers weak around my arms, and I pulled away, away from his icy forehead, away from his hot breath, just enough to look down into his eyes, into his beautiful, cold face; his face was cold, so very cold and pale, lips parted, chest heaving, brow tight and white, snow kissing against the fringes of his dark, dark hair. His eyes were alive again, no more fog, bright and burning, big, dark pools of licking gold, of burning flames, torches of fiery lights in a cold, cold world-

And I knew, somehow, that Will wanted me too.

He wanted this too.

_Will._

His breath came out in a fog of burning white.

"I missed you."

A smile cracked through the ice.

"Damn right you did."

I didn't want it to end.

_Will._

For a moment, we just sat there, burning in the snow, Will's hands gripping weakly onto my arms as we just looked at each other, my chest heaving against his own, his legs cradling on either side, his eyes burning an uncontrollable flame, a smouldering desire, his lips parted, dreaming anticipation, my heart hammering, my lips itching to close the distance, to let him take me away-

And then, a small voice whispered in the back of my mind.

_Not now, Joey._

My heart screamed.

_Not now._

With a soft sigh, I pried away, pulling away, tearing away, muscles aching, moaning in regret as I pulled from Will and stood up into the snow, my eyes never leaving him; he let go too, slowly, icy fingers prying loose, dark hair wild in the icy gale. He pressed his lips together, gulping back, his pale skin shivering with something as I pulled away from me, from his touch, from his embrace, his fiery, fiery eyes tracking my every step as I slowly moved back from him. My skin itched with desire.

_Damn it._

My breath burned hot and furious.

"We have to go," my heart was hammering, banging, my body just longing to climb back into his arms, to feel his skin, his breath all over again, "Balder said to get to the Styx, and that's where-"

"Joey…"

Another smile cracked through the world.

"I just have to pounce on you later, eh?"

He didn't answer.

_Will._

For a moment, all we did was stare, refusing to look anywhere else, the white blizzard swallowing us up as I drowned in the flames of his eyes, my skin burning with desire and yearning, my legs moaning to move forward, my arms dying to reach out towards him again, my lips ablaze with hunger-

And then, Will's voice whispered through the howling, icy tempest.

"Help me up."

_Will._

It gave me the excuse to touch him again, but this time, it was to help him, using my shoulders and arms and helping him to his feet; my muscles were still tired, my bones aching, but I helped him up, letting him use me as support as he painfully climbed up, snow drifting around his feet. Black coat billowed, his dark hair wry and wild in the icy gale as his weak fingers gripped into my shoulders for support, his feet sliding up beneath him, taking ground-

And then, slipping away, as if they were made of water.

"Hold on," I whispered, as I grabbed him before he fell, throwing an arm around his waist, holding him up, my own fingers digging into his red-clothed hip, pushing my weight beneath him; he was still weak, so very weak, his arms useless and meek as I grabbed one of them and tossed them over my shoulder, letting his icy arm wring its way around my neck. His skin was still so pale, his knees buckling beneath his own weight as he struggled to drag his own feet out of the snow, his weight leaning more and more into me, against me. Dark hair, fringed with icy snow, kissed against my cold cheek.

His icy arm squeezed around my neck, scraping against the short ends of my hair.

His breath was hot white.

"What happened to your hair-"

It was then that I heard it.

There, echoing through the icy storm, through the blinding whiteness of the blizzard, chains were creaking, a metallic jingle of metal upon metal, a low, ringing sound, a continuous sound, creaking through the whipping storm like the crack of a leash, running thick and through, loud as bells-

_The North Gate._

My heart froze.

_Oh God._

Will's voice murmured hot in my ear.

"What's that?"

My heart screamed.

_Oh God._

My voice came out white.

"Hell hounds."

A howl pierced the night.

_Hell hounds._

We moved.

**888888888888**

We must have walked for an hour.

A full, blown hour.

_A bloody hour._

At least, it had felt like an hour, time and light dissipating into non-existence, mind dulled over, worn on the edges-

And the world nothing more then whipping, cruel ice and clawing darkness.

A never-ending darkness

_Hell._

"How much longer?"

_Hell._

Adrenaline rushed hot through my blood.

Thighs burned.

_Hell._

Without a word, I turned slightly, away from the crunching white snow beneath my feet towards the man leaning up against my body, dark hair grazing against the side of my cheeks. Black, dull boots dragged through snow, dead and weak.

Breath burned.

_Will._

He was there, beside me, still leaning in against me, a single, lifeless arm draped helplessly around my neck, skin cold and ashen, completely dead. He was slumped, my hand still gripping tightly around his waist, his black coat billowing behind him in a trail of shadows against the icy white world. Dark curls laughed, maniac and dying, whipping about wildly in the icy curl of the gale, crashing against my cheeks; they were cold against my flushed skin, so very cold, snowflakes of white dotting against the dark curls, frosting along its edges. His skin was swallow, white, colourless, dark, dark eyes staring down like black holes in the whipping storm. Lips curled in a quiet frown, white and dead.

His hand was a lifeless icy corpse around my neck.

His chest heaved wildly.

_Will._

My tongue was too bitter.

"Not much," I said it quietly, the howl of the gale rushing over my words as I pushed him on, digging my nails into the side of his maroon-covered hips and edging him on with a knock of my shoulders, muscles aching, burning raw as he leaned his desperate, useless weight against me. He was still so cold, so very cold, trembling icy skin against my own, a burning fiery ice against the flush of my neck and cheeks-

But I wasn't cold.

Not really.

_Not anymore._

Snow clawed against our ankles.

Will's breath was too weak.

"Not much?" His chest was heaving, his voice too quiet, the wind howling and biting against our ears as I pushed him on, ignoring the fiery burn in my muscles as I fuelled us forward, trying to get back to that jogging speed, mind dull and blank, "Joey. I can't go…I can't…"

My own voice came out in an unfamiliar, exhausted rasp.

"I know. You're tired-"

His lips were too taut.

"We…We have to stop-"

"Just a little more, Will."

Snow bit against weathered skin.

Wind gnawed at our ears.

Ice clawed at our feet.

_Just a little more._

I pulled him slightly closer towards me, his body weak and frail, helpless and useless, leaning, depending solely on me.

Dark hair kissed against my cheek.

_Just a little more._

His next words tugged at my heart.

"We've been…walking...for _hours._"

I reached up and grabbed the arm circled around my neck, the cold, icy, lifeless arm, grabbing his white fingers and pulling him closer to me.

Snow stung my eyes.

My heart screamed.

"It just feels that way, Will. Trust me. We're almost there."

Silence.

Pure, booming silence.

The wind howled.

_We're almost there._

Were we?

I didn't know.

I couldn't know.

Before me, before us, the world was just a blanket of whipping white against darkness, every shape, every shadow blended into the eternal hell of light, the snow crashing, destroying everything. White fell, and darkness consumed, and there was nothing to see, nothing that had been seen for hundred hours, nothing but the snowstorm and its background of black. All there was was snow, cruel, biting snow, and we-

We were walking blind.

We had been walking blind.

_Completely blind._

Sparrow's beads chimed against my ear.

_Absolutely blind._

A part of me wanted to cry.

_Always blind._

Will's voice was a soft, helpless whimper.

"I have to stop."

I couldn't breathe.

"Just a bit more, Will," there was a choke in my voice, a choke I had to swallow down, fingers digging into his hip, shoulder pushing him own, dragging both my body and him through the blinding snow, the swallowing ice, my chest tight and gasping, my mind blank as slate, "Please, Will. _Please. _We have…we have to keep moving-"

Something grabbed me.

It came out of nowhere, so sudden, so quick, a dash of the falling, crashing snow and the howling icy gale, my body falling sideways, down into the icy maw of the snow-

And then a flash of darkness, of biting, jolting darkness, a cry tearing from my lips as the dark consumed me-

A howl tore through the world.

_Oh God._

"JOEY!"

White screamed.

_Oh God._

I was on the ground, somehow, someway, back first, face up, lungs gasping for air as the snow screamed down into the world, heart hammering, blood rushing, mind yelling for help, for anything, body frozen, paralysed against the white snow, completely helpless, my entire body screaming, struggling to snap awake-

And then, it pounced onto me.

_It._

It was as something had crushed onto me, a boulder, an avalanche of black slamming down onto my body, onto my gasping, wheezing lungs, ribs creaking, heart screaming, the very breath shattered away like glass, my stomach smashing away into a million pieces, tears glazing over my eyes-

I saw it.

_It._

It came over my face, giant, horrid, black as death, ears flat against it's head, teeth white and snarling, tongue bloody and raw, jagged, terrible fangs stabbing down into the snow. Black fur bristled, neck roiling with twisting dark muscles, it's hind legs massive and powerful, black paws crushing my rib cage, destroying my very breath. Drool trickled, thick and lucid, fogs of foul white puffing from its wet, flaring nose and in the glaze of my tears, in the blurs of horrible, smiting pain, its eyes stared down, holes of burning fires, of licking flames and screaming souls.

The very windows into the depths of Hell.

_Oh God._

My breath was dead.

_Oh God._

It was so horrible, so very terrible, it's entire weight pressed down against my chest, cracking bones, smiting veins, shattering every breath, the pain tearing through my body, screaming through my blood. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I stared up into those fiery eyes, those hellion eyes, the growl trembling down to my very core, my entire body shivering, trembling as a cry throttled my throat, fear, panic, pure terror devouring me as I stared up into the monster's snarling face-

"JOEY!"

I twisted my head, snapping it against the snow, ice biting against the nape of my bare neck as I turned away from the beast, from those devil eyes, tears fogging the world as I searched against the white snow, desperation, terror gnawing my heart-

And Will was there, a few feet away, a dark blob in a world of snow and ice, brown hair tearing in the wind. He was slumped back, helpless against the snow, eyes staring right at me, dark, wild, hopeless and completely, utterly horrified. White skin blended into the churning pale snow, a ghost of a man in a fog of tears.

His scream tore through the white world.

"JOEY!"

The monster howled.

_The sword._

It was painful, so very painful, a world of blinding tears, lungs crashed, breath tattered, agony soaring through my body as the beast glared down into my face, breath white and foul, eyes cruel and flaming, Will's cry crashing through the world…

And my fingers slipping down into my robe, searching, blind and helpless, cries choking in my throat as I searched against the thunderous weight, pain destroying me, smiting me-

It lunged forward.

_Oh God._

It was a dash of black, a blur in the white, white world, pain devouring me-

And then, it bit my neck.

_Oh God._

For a moment, I could feel nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Nothing.

All that there was the black blur, the pressing, crushing pain, terror squeezing around my heart, tears streaming down my eyes as the beast moved, lunging down, crashing into my neck-

Pain exploded.

_Oh God._

I screamed.

_Oh God._

All senses, all thought shattered, glass smashing, fires erupting, webs of rippling, horrid pain shooting beneath my skin, writhing in pure agony as fangs tore through my neck, sinking down into my skin. There was nothing, nothing at all but the flashing pain, the thumping, thundering agony, the beast's powerful jaws ripping across my neck, its heaving black chest pressing against my own paralysed heart. Colours flashed, red and black, screams tearing out of my throat as the pain shot throughout my body, the hell hound growling into my neck as it ripped skin from flesh, blood dripping fiery and furious, my entire body shrieking with pure agony…

And all I could do was scream.

Just scream.

_Oh God._

Everything began to flash before, absolutely everything, a wild, wild world in the icy pain, in the fiery blood; images, colours, flashing neon lights bright and brilliant, laughing voices ringing through the world as faces zapped my mind, body writhing back and forth against the icy snow-

Faces that I knew.

Faces that I remembered.

_Jared._

The world exploded.

_Jared._

Will yelled.

It stopped.

_Jared._

It was pulled away, torn away, the faces, the lights, the colours, the horrible, horrible foul breath and ragged fangs-

And then, I opened my eyes.

_Will._

Above, the world was covered with tears, foggy, thick tears, frails of white dancing in the silent black, a soft song humming in my ear, like the melody of mermaids or ancient gods, willing me to sleep, to just lie there and fall asleep, forever peaceful in an eternal slumber-

"JOEY!"

I snapped upright-

And pain exploded through my neck.

_Oh God._

It was livid pain, a horrible pain, a dull, throbbing, a writhing ache ripping down my side, my eyes glazing over, clouding over as the pain rippled through my body, my tongue coated bitter and metallic, fires streaming down my neck-

And then Will's voice tore through the night.

_Will._

He was there, off to my left now, sprawled about the snow, dark hair flying-

And the hell hound just inches away from him, struggling out of the snow, up to it's fallen feet, snarling up into the dizzying white snow….

As if Will had pushed the monster off me or something

Had kicked him.

Shoved him away.

_Saved me._

With whatever strength that he had in his dying soul.

_Saved me._

The world spun.

_Will._

The beast was moving.

_Oh God._

I couldn't do anything.

I just…

I just couldn't.

The blood was pouring, red, dark, staining the perfect white snow as it trailed like flames down my skin, my head spinning, the world twirling as pain pounded through my body. My tongue was bitter, too bitter, heart shrivelled, agony writhing through my blood as the world twisted and danced, snow and tears melting together as the dark shape moved through the snow, through the blur towards the still, silent form, prowling to it's dinner, it's meal, hungry for blood-

To Will.

_Will._

I couldn't breathe.

_The sword._

The hell hound howled.

_The sword._

With a blur of tears and a wretch of thumping agony, I reached down weak, bloody fingers, shivering fingers, trembling past the blood-stained black robe, searching, praying, hoping beyond tears and pain that I could find it, that I had the strength to find it, that I could be saved, that Will could be saved-

Cold touched fire.

_Yes._

I grabbed Balder's sword.

_Yes._

It came loose, out of the black robe, in a bright, brilliant blaze of golden light, gleaming like the sun in the bloody white world, like a star on a cold winter's night. Golden light bloomed, beautiful and wonderful, and warmth screamed, fires leaping from the gold hilt down my skin and into my blood, rushing against the cold, smiting the ice, the bloody pain. Fires shot to my very core, pumping it with flames, the ice melting, the pain shattering, the painful, twisting world clearing away like fog under the rays of the golden sun of as my fingers tightened around the golden hilt-

And I stood up.

Strong.

Powerful.

Alive.

_Alive._

"Finally."

And then, I charged forward.

_Alive._

Snow bit at my ankles, the ice crashing against my body, pushing me back, the ache of the hell hounds bite still throbbing in my neck, blood dripping down onto the white snow, crimson against ice-

But it none of it mattered.

None of it ever did.

_Not anymore._

Red eyes turned to me.

_Never again._

It didn't even have a chance.

It came at me then, ignoring Will, a powerful, black beast charging through the snow, terrible and frightening, Hel's little minion, master of fear, red eyes hellion and fiery, white fangs gnashing together, howls ripping from it's terrible throat as it raced through the snow and pounced forward, towards me, ready for the kill-

And all I had to do was turn my blade and let the fiery end rip through it's body.

_Never again._

Light screamed, bright and horrible in the dark, icy, bloody world as the blade cut across the beast's exposed belly, catching it in mid-jump, a flash of brilliant gold against the darkness of Hell. Red ruby laughed, cruel and brilliant, a maniac fire surging through my body, through my very soul as I cut the beast across with my blade, light against eternal death-

And then, it dissipated into a fog of black ash.

_Dead._

It happened right before my eyes, the split second of light, a growl of agony, and the horrid monster disintegrated to ashes, spontaneously, erupting into a sweeping flood of scattered foul ashes, whipping away into the wind. It was so fast, so very fast, black ash crashing against my body before I could even lower my sword, dancing away into the icy storm, lost and dead forever. Everything disintegrated, everything single thing, its claws, its teeth, it's hellions, flaming eyes…

Everything.

Then, nothing.

Everything into nothing.

_Dead._

I laughed.

_Dead._

I couldn't help it.

I just couldn't.

It was out of place, it was _wrong-_

But it was dead.

It was gone.

The hell hound.

The creature that tried to kill me.

The creature that tried to kill Will.

Dead.

Gone.

_Dead._

Another laugh, and I kicked snow, blood-stained, ash-coated snow, laughing up into the wild white winds as I kissed my sword, purring in its eternal warmth, its glorious golden warmth, forgetting pain, forgetting tears-

Because I had done it again.

I had saved us again.

Another monster.

Another hellion.

_Dead._

I laughed.

Just laughed.

Like a maniac.

A laughing maniac.

_Dead._

Will's voice whispered like a dream.

"Is it…dead?"

He was still there, in the snow, sprawled against the shivering, icy white, dark hair whipping back, black as night. Black coat swelled, flapping back in the twirling snow as his pale, weak fingers clawed at the ice, body hunched, weak, defeated. His chest heaved, panting, rapid breaths, nose flaring, cheeks pale. Dark eyes watched, fires in the black.

The sword burned in my hand.

_Dead._

A crooked smile tore across my face.

"Dead…gone…destroyed from this world-yeah," he was just watching, weak and little, a dark shadow in the snow but I was smiling, grinning, the warmth, the pure power of the sword rushing through my veins, screaming through my blood, rendering me warm and strong, "Dead. Pretty much. Hel's not going to be happy."

He just stared.

Just stared.

_Just stared_

_Can't he see how amazing this is?_

_How wonderfully lucky?_

_Luck?_

_No._

_No way._

_This was not luck._

_This was never luck._

_It was this sword._

_And me._

_I had just saved us._

_Me._

Fires soared within me.

_Me._

Will's voice drifted like a dream.

"You're bleeding."

For a second, I just stared at him, at the soft black petals of ash drifting through the whipping white wind, the remnants of that terrible beast falling away with the snow, the fires, the pure heat rushing through me, engulfing me as I stared at Will's fiery eyes, my own heart pounding, laughing with ecstasy-

_Bleeding._

_Oh._

_Right._

Without so much as a thought, I reached up my free fingers, towards my neck-

And pain moaned, stretching throughout my neck, down the side of my body, writhing beneath my skin, a dull, blunt sort of ache tearing into my flesh. Blood pooled at my fingers, thick, hot blood, trailing down my arm, down my neck, dripping like syrup into my black robe, rolling like little rivers of fires. It was disgusting, thick and gross, the pain lapping, tearing, a wrenching ache twisting my gut, my thumping heart-

And there was flesh there, ripped flesh, an icky, squishy coat of raw, soft jagged skin….

_Ewww._

Without another word, I pulled back my hand and looked down at my bloody fingers, the dark crimson so strange, so out of place against the white world around us, so stark, so very haunting. Fiery licks of scarlet dripped down onto the pale snow, black ash drifting like a forgotten memory.

Pain throbbed like a distant dream.

"Ewww."

Will's voice was a weak whisper.

"Is it…healing?"

He was still on the ground, on the snow, fires dancing in his eyes, hair wild and free, blood dripping like ,the sands of time; without another word, I crossed the distance between, ploughing through the tainted snow and squatted before him, right in front of him. Our black robes billowed together, rough, ancient cloth fluttering against the oiled dirty leather.

The sword felt like manna.

He looked horrible.

"You ok?" I grinned, for no other reason that the adrenaline and fires raging through my blood, bending down and looking face-to-face into his dark brown eyes, the wind whipping our hairs together; though I no longer feel the cold, Will was shivering, his skin still so ghastly and pale, his chest heaving with each rapid breath. Dark brown eyes stared right back at me, panicked, frightened, like a deer in the headlights. Thin, chapped lips quivered.

Snow howled through the world.

He gulped.

"Me?" he shook his head, his eyes watching me and only me, dark hair wild and beautiful in the raging icy white, "You're the one…bleeding. Joey…. that thing, it bit-"

"Hell hound."

"I thought you were g-going to die."

Without a word, my grin widened, foolishly, and then, with my bloody fingertips, I reached forward and caressed one of those flying dark curls.

Red bled like dying tears.

The sword beamed.

"Will. We're already dead."

A little smile tweaked at his lips, a smile of forgotten times and distant dreams in the world of ice and dripping blood.

Pain throbbed like a dull dim.

"So it's like the falling thing then."

A drop of blood fell from my stray fingers down onto his pale, sickly skin.

The sword burned like the sun.

"No," I shook my head, pulling my bloody fingers back and wiping it against the rough cloth of my robes, fidgeting the warm gold hilt in my other hand, letting the heat, the fires keep its furious race through my blood, Will's eyes wide and dark, burning with something bright, "Not quite-"

"But-"

"Hell hounds are different, Will. Hel made them for guards of her damn palace. They would be worthless if they couldn't…."

The smile faded away, like ink in water, like smoke in ice.

"Kill you?"

"Destroy me. Destroy souls. Disintegrate into nothing, like Scooby back there. It's the magic of the gods, old stuff you know-"

Without another word, Will reached up cold, pale fingers and made for my neck, eyes dark and wild, panicked, frightened, dark pools screaming in complete anxiety, utterly terrified-

And I flinched out of the way, grabbing his stabbing, weak fingers, gasping in the icy, white air.

Fires screamed through my bones.

"It's just a bite. It doesn't even really hurt, not that much anymore, not with this sword-"

"But…but that creature-"

"Didn't finish the job, remember?" I slowly pushed his hand back but didn't let it go, his fingers, his hand so very icy against the warmth of my skin, the fires still raging through my blood, wind so very harsh and cruel, "You stopped it. You saved me."

He paused.

He gulped.

Then, he slowly pulled his fingers out of my warm grip, gently, slipping away back into his sprawled lap, his dark eyes lowering towards the red-white snow, studying the few flakes of ashes still drifting along with the falling snow. Frost of white topped his head, like a pearly pale crown.

His voice was so weak.

"It was…it was going to kill you."

Blood dripped like forgotten dreams.

"Yeah."

Silence screamed.

_Will._

For a moment, we just sat there, on the snow, in the middle of the storm, kneeling across from one another, blood and ash dancing in the cold grips of the winter hell.

Blood burned like rivers of flames.

Blade beamed bright and gold.

Will's whisper was a fog of white.

"You're warm. How's that even-"

A howl tore through the night.

_Oh God._

Without another word, I snapped my head up, looking away from Will and towards the direction of the howl, fingers tightening around the sword, my flaming heart choking up my throat; it was high, piercing through the endless, shapeless storm of snow, clear as a bell, loud and brutal. It tore through the world, from no direction in particular, so horrible, so very horrible, like a shriek of terror in the night, prickling right through the bone-

And then another, a ragged, calling howl from somewhere in the wild darkness, piercing through the white blanket-

A yap, nearby, and then a loud growl, a monstrous cry into the wild snow storm.

A howl of anger into the hidden dark.

_Hell Hounds._

I was on my feet before I could even think.

"Joey?"

"Stay down," my heart was pumping, wild, as I swept in front of Will, blocking his sprawled body behind me, black robe billowing as the snow churned red and ash, the sword swinging loose, a streak of brilliant sunbeams. My lungs were heaving, so sudden, so panicked, the fires of the sword coursing through my blood, giving me strength, power, burning furious and untameable. Fires lapped at my heart, adrenaline rushing as I took my place before Will, sword drawing up, muscles burning with barely contained energy. Howls bayed into the icy night, one after another.

Coming closer.

Closer.

And closer.

_Closer._

Blood slithered a fiery dance.

"Joey-"

"Stay behind me, you hear?" I gasped, not even bothering to look back behind me; before me, the world of ice and storm whipped empty and dark, no sign of life whatsoever. There was just the falling snow, the never-ending stretch of ice-packed ground, the whipping white storm, the creeping darkness, the last fluttering of the hound's ashes, flicks of blood-

And the sound of the hounds, howling and crying.

Closer.

Coming closer.

_Closer._

I could barely breathe.

_Closer._

It was so horrible, the sounds, the writhing cries, coming closer and closer, louder and louder, my eyes blind to everything but the snow, my heart screaming in my chest; the sword still burned, bright in the air, like a brilliant star, burning scores of heat through my blood, feeding me strength, power, making me feel safe and strong…

But the howls were so loud.

So close.

_Closer._

All I could see was white.

Will's voice gasped.

"How many are there?"

I didn't look back-

No.

No way.

Not a chance.

_Where are you, you basterds?_

My heart was screaming.

"Sorry. Never got the chance to count."

Snow whipped, clawing and cruel.

Sword burned, bright and beautiful.

Heart screamed, banging and moaning.

Blood rushed, thumping and furious.

Howls tore, horrifying and bloodcurdling-

And then, something burst through the snow, right in front of me, a large, dark shape darting forward, giant and quick. It was so sudden, so very fast, moving like a beast through the cold, icy white, a giant hulking shape crashing through the sifting white, snow churning wildly in its wake. Footsteps boomed, thundering against the icy ground, the giant, dark shape hurtling towards us at the speed of light, the sword burning bright in my hand as my heart screamed with utter terror and thrill, ready to strike-

A voice cried out from the icy darkness.

"What the hell are you still doing here, dame?"

_Balder._

The world sighed.

_Balder._

It _was_ Balder, rushing, crashing through the snow, fast and quick, a giant, hulking shadow moving through the icy snow, feet thundering through the perfect white ground. Golden arrows poked out from the back of his head, his bare, naked chest heaving with desperate breaths as biceps rolled dark through the snow, every muscle strained against the hushed white. It was still so dark, a blur of black in the cold, cold world, but with each step, his features became clearer and clearer, the satchel tight around his giant chest, his dark skin like the shade of dusk in a pale, dark world. Golden curls laughed, frosty and pale, wild like bright little lights.

Blue eyes beamed like dancing flames.

_Balder._

I ran up and hugged him.

_Balder._

He was sweaty, muscles tensed, but he still hugged me back, throwing an arm around my back, not caring if my sword still burned down the side, glowing threateningly. Golden curls laughed, crashing against my head as I stretched my hands around his tall, wide body, my heart giggling with relief, sighing with respite, his body hot and sweaty, a blanket, a shelter against the icy, icy world-

And then, he pushed me back, grabbing by the shoulders, his blue eyes wide and alive in the mist of the twisting icy white. The flute was in his hand, pressing against my shoulder now, its golden blade slicing the air beside my face, gleaming like a shard of sunbeam; his own curls flew in the wind, washed out in the whipping snow, his giant hands burning through the dark fabric of my robe, warm and alive. Flakes of snow frosted atop his wide, bronze shoulders.

His smile cracked like ice against dusk.

_Balder._

I smiled.

"I didn't think you were going to catch up in time," I grinned, lowering my sword towards the icy hard ground, the pain still dull and throbbing at my neck, blood trailing like fire ants, "I thought-"

"What?" blue eyes laughed a dance, alive and burning bright, so very young, so very brilliant, his accent a familiar warmth, "And let you have all the credit for saving the pretty prince then?"

Blood burned like a fire's tongue.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

His smile was like a crescent moon in a dark, cold night.

"Stupid girl."

The cold wind howled.

For a second, we just grinned at each other, my own body, my own being thrilled at the sight of him, relieved to just see him again, the pain, the blood fading into memories as I looked up into that bright, glowing smile-

And then a howl tore through the world.

_Hell hounds._

The smile dropped from my lips before I could even think.

_Hell hounds._

Without another word, I threw a glance behind me, back at Will; he was still there, now standing sloppy against the push of the winter's gale, dark hair flopping wildly, his pale skin blending into the snow, as if he were nothing more then a ghost.

Then again, we were all ghosts.

Another howl, followed by a furious yap.

_Hell hounds._

I turned back to Balder.

"How many?"

His smile twitched.

"Don't know," he said, so simply, so gleefully, turning back to peer about into the whizzing wildness of the snow, the smile fading a little, the dimples loosening, a darkness encroaching over his bright, eager eyes as the howls tore into the icy night, "Ten. Twenty. Maybe even thirty- don't know, don't really want to know, you know? I reckon only the North Gate is open, but then again, it could jut be wishful thinking, seeing as my sister was never much on the whole giving-people-a-change thing. I mean, you've met her. Not exactly sweet and lovely, you know-"

"Balder-"

"They were behind me," he whipped back around, golden curls twirling in the frigid cold, blue eyes flaring wide as he turned back to me, his smile hooking on edge, lips curled, tight with a suddenly forced grin, "All of them, chasing me. Didn't really bother to stop, just ran-"

"Not all of them were behind-"

"Right," and he reached up and glided a single finger along the arc of my bloody neck, skin soothing across fiery red; pain lanced under his touch, his skin rushing gently, unconscious over my open flesh, my gut tightening, my heart screaming as his touch roiled agony through my body. Pain moaned, stretched and wired, my brain screaming for a reaction-

And I jumped back, knocking his hand away from my wound, flicking stray drops of red down onto the wild snows. Pain cracked, trembling throughout my neck.

Blue eyes watched, bright and alive.

A howl ripped through the wind.

_Hell hounds._

There was something too tight about his smile.

"One got past, apparently."

Pain tugged like an evil torment.

Sword burned like flames.

"Apparently," I nodded softly, the pain still burning, still throbbing, my insides gutted and weak as I stared up into that smile, a smile that seemed too false, too bright, "Balder, it's just a bite. It bit me, a hell hound, and Will stopped it-"

He looked down at the blade burning in my palm.

"And it's dead."

Icy wind moaned.

A howl tore, off to the side.

_Hell hounds._

"Yeah."

Blood-stained fingers pressed against my shoulder.

A hound moaned into the icy night.

"Good."

And then, he moved.

Without so much as word, Balder moved past me, quick and agile, forever light on his feet, golden curls laughing in the storm as he swept over the icy landscape, a tall, handsome giant in a cold, cold world. He moved so silently, so very perfectly, dark, sweaty muscles rolling smoothly as he glided over the ash-stained, red-dotted world, moving towards Will's silent, misshapen shadow-

And then, without a single sound, picked Will and threw him over his shoulders.

"OI! Get off!"

A howl cried into the wind, chilling my blood.

My feet were moving before I could even think.

"Balder!" Will was hanging over Balder's shoulders now, limp and helpless, his pale, weak body startled, instinctively trying to pry away from Balder's firm grip, thrown over his dusky, bare shoulders like a flapping haired rag doll, my sword burning bright with each quick stride, "Put Will down-"

"Can he run, me dame?"

Will's dark eyes screamed at me, fingers digging into Balder's steel back as he weakly tried to push away.

He was like a little puppy in a giant's grip.

"No."

Another hound howled.

Balder grinned.

"Then, keep up."

**+ End Of Chapter +**

**So, not so proud of this chapter. Not really good….sorry about that. I promise to work harder on the next one, and get Joey, Balder and Will out of hell as fast as possible.**

**To all my reviewers, thank you so much! XD Please keep on reviewing, and reading and clicking that pretty button; it works wonders to my self-esteem and hence, my writing. Also, check out my poll on my profile page, if you like.**

**Once again, I apologise for this chapter, and I will do better for the next one. See you!**

**XOXO**


	6. The Styx

**Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs. **

**Just read through my reviews, and I realized something: I have amazing readers. Seriously. The reviews you guys give me are **_**amazing**_**...bloody brilliant. They are really all so sweet and wonderful, and I LOVE YOU ALL.**

**Ok.**

**Sorry. Mushy, I know.**

**But lately, I've just been sort of…happy. And grateful. Thank you so much for your kind words and I will do the best that I can to make this fanfic amazing. **

**Anyway, enough with my talk.**

**Here we go!**

**Chapter 5: The River Styx**

The river appeared like a dream.

A cold, miserable dream.

An icy nightmare.

_Finally._

It appeared in the fog of the snow, fading into the whipping white, a streak of pallor, so subtle and beautiful in the white, white cold; the snow clouded it, hiding its fine edges, its cruel, jagged lines, a wispy, faded mist, a trail so faint and delicate, like a whisper of smoke slashing through the white. Fine lines curved in the white wild, so fragile, so weak, that for a moment, for just a moment, it seemed like an actual dream, like an icy, cruel nightmare taunting at my very desires, my very soul, eyes blinded, painted with a hopeful picture of our final destination. It seemed just that, a fanciful dream, a mirage of my shivering body, my numb mind, the soft, delicate swirl of lines like some kind of cruel magic, teasing me, mocking me, rusing me with false hope and pulling me farther into the wild icy heart of Hell itself-

Only it wasn't a dream.

Or magic.

No.

Not at all.

_Finally._

Balder's voice chimed like a golden bell.

"Well, at least we've finally made it."

_Finally._

Balder was there, right beside me, striding, large, long legs pushing through the thick blanket of falling snow, untouchable and undefeatable in the whipping wind; he stood like a sore thumb, all golden and bronze, a stark dusky brilliance against the sickly pallor of the falling snow, a giant of burning sun in the cold, cold world. His golden hair, those bright bouncing curls, were coated with snow, frails of whitened locks kissing against his broad shoulders as he trudged through the snow, massive feet crushingice without even the slightest bit of effort. Blue eyes pierced out into the white, white world, bright and alive.

Burning with life.

_Finally._

My insides twisted.

_Finally._

Without another word, I turned away from the approaching wispy, shadowy river, from the grand mirage in the white cold, and towards the burden slumped over Balder's shoulder, carried like nothing more then a sack; Will hung there, limp, lifeless, his dark coat an odd clash against the bright curls of Balder's hair. Black boots hung, kicking against the god's naked stomach, the maroon shirt whipping against the dusk of bronze skin, blood against gold. Hand dangled, loose, pale, white gloves flapping helplessly behind the giant's back, away from the arrows, arms, legs and body completely devoid of life. Dark hair flopped useless, brown locks a shadow in the colourless world.

His exposed skin was the colour of ash.

_Will._

Balder's voice came as heavy sigh.

"He's getting cold," he said simply enough, moving effortlessly, arm strapped over Will's back, carrying as if he's nothing more then a rag doll, blue eyes burning down at me, "He's not going to last long."

The wind howled against my ear, biting it raw.

I bit my icy lips.

"Don't say that."

"It's none but the truth, me dame."

"Then, stop speaking and move faster," I growled, and reached up to touch Will's hand, my own black robe fluttering behind, half-dragging in the slushy mess of the pale snow; he was cold, cold as ice, fingers lifeless, hand limp, his skin so white, so very white, like the colours of the snow itself…

_Will._

A howl cried in the icy wind.

_Will._

I squeezed his dead hand.

Balder sighed.

"You think they would give up after a while," he breathed, puff of white smoke whispering from between his lips as he stared right ahead, golden curls whipping back in the harsh white wind. Blue eyes stared right ahead, eager and burning.

Will's hand burned ice against my own.

I couldn't feel my toes.

_Will._

"What?"

"The hounds," Balder threw a glance at me, the dark robe rustling against my numb body, my fingers tight around Will's lifeless, icy ones, "You know? The big black wolves, the ones that were chasing us, the ones that bit-"

"I know what they are, idiot. I remember," I threw him a back a sour look, a downright glare, and then, I couldn't help it; on impulse, without a thought, I reached up my other, numb hand and touched my throat, the left of my neck. Icy, hard fingers grazed over skin, past the black rough cloth of my robe, and a dull ache pursued, a running, writhing sting roiling beneath my skin, a grief, a slight but throbbing pain twanging beneath the touch of my icy fingers, sending bolts of fire down my body-

And reminding me that I was still alive.

In a way.

That I could still feel beneath the cold.

That I could still feel pain.

That I was human.

_In a way._

I squeezed Will's hand again.

_In a way._

Without another look at Balder, I pulled back my frozen fingers and looked down at them, the ache throbbing, a delicious reminder, a prickling hot sensation writhing beneath my veins as I stared down at my fingers; drops of blood stained against the icy flesh, red, brilliant crimson, so beautiful and tragic in the pale, colourless world, like a star in the dark, dark night. A drop of red fell to snow, burning like flames against my numb skin.

The wind clawed at my body.

_In a way._

Balder's voice was a golden whisper.

"Does it still hurt?"

This time, I didn't even try to hold back the glare.

"Of course it hurts, you fucking-"

"Calm down, dame," a little chuckle, and the usual Balder grin cracked across his dusky face, his blue eyes laughing with some misplaced some of humour, his accent rolling warm and bright, Will's black leather coat flapping out into the wind as Balder held on to his limp body tightly, "There's no need to be rude."

"I'm not being rude."

"I may be 4000 years out of touch, but that was _rude-_"

"Oh, so what if it am?" I couldn't help but snarl, bitterly, flicking the frail drops of blood into the crashing forces of white snow, lapping up the dull, gnawing pain as I wiped my fingers clean on the black robe, feet heavy and numb as lead, fires burning behind my eyes, "I'm tired, alright? I'm fucking exhausted. I'm freezing, I'm starving, I'm bleeding, and Will is dying-"

"Actually, he's already dead-"

"_Shut up_-"

"Well, so are you, if that makes me feel any better!" he threw a wink, an infuriating wink, blue eyes flashing bright as I bit my chapped, dried lips, golden curls laughing, dancing in the wilds of the icy blizzard, bright against the bleak, "You're dead. Your prince here is dead. I, on the other hand-"

I huffed out a puff of foggy white.

Will's hand didn't move.

"_You're_ not dead."

Another wink of brilliant blue.

"Never have, never will be."

Snow crushed beneath out feet, rumbling in unison.

The wind clawed with icy talons.

I squeezed Will's hand.

_Will._

My voice came out in a wispy fog of cold.

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

Balder laughed.

Even in the storm, in the howling lament of the trudging snow, the wind clawing off my ears, biting away every sound but its lonely, tortured cry, I could hear Balder's laughter, the funny, merry, golden laugh, the sweet nectar ringing through the wind. His voice rang, and flashes of gold shot through my mind, images of warmth, of golden sunrises, of laughing springs and sweet morning dew, flowers booming in the bright shrubs of evergreens, the calls of the wild laughing up into the warm, delicious morning-

The world, wakening for a new day.

The bright world.

The golden world.

The living world.

_My world._

Balder's voice rang like a clear, crystal bell.

"It was your idea to come here, dame."

The wind screamed, cold and brutal.

The snow clawed, hungry and ravenous.

My heart moaned, tired and longing.

_My world._

I squeezed Will's hand.

"I had to save Will," I replied simply enough, using my other, numb hand to pull the black robe closer to my body, yanking it tight, my short hair wild in the wind as the cold slashed against the nape of my neck, "You know that-"

"I know," he shrugged, grunting slightly as he shifted Will's weight along the expanse of his bronze, perfect muscles, his dark cheeks flooded with a cold blush, "and I wanted to hide away from my siblings-

"Which didn't work, by the way."

"I know."

"Too bad, then."

Another chuckle, and the wind howled against us, pushing against our faces, against our trudging feet, Sparrow's beads crashing wildly against my cheek as the icy gale tore across, brutal, horrible. Black robe fluttered back, wild, uncontrollable, and in the icy howl, Balder and I staggered back a little, faltered by the winds of Hell. Snowflakes burned into my eyes.

A howl cried up to the winter skies.

_My world. _

Will's hand was too cold.

Balder's voice trilled like a golden flute.

"Your lack of sympathy for me is rather startling, my dear."

"Please," I winced, pushing against the whirling wind, snow twirling in the dark air as ice burned down my ankles, my other hand clutching tight to the collar of my black robe, pushing, fighting, never stopping, "You don't deserve pity."

A grin cracked through the snow, a brilliant white grin.

"Really? I helped you save this young lad-"

"And I freed you. We're even."

Silence.

Icy, howling silence.

_My world._

For a moment, we just walked, pushing against the storm, ice fiery in my eyes, cold burning through my skin as Balder walked slowly beside me, firm and strong, dark and beautiful in the icy world. Will's body was still so quiet, so very still, hanging like a rag doll, like a lifeless little thing.

His hand burned icy cold in my hand.

_My world._

A hound bayed in the distance.

A vein throbbed at the bite wound.

Balder sighed.

"Ah, so what happens now?"

A puff of white fog whispered between my lips.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean after this, me dame," A throw of flashing blue eyes at me, the bright, Balder smile faltering, dimming just a little in the wild white world, "After we get out of here-"

"_If _we get out of here-"

"Oh, we're getting out of here, I assure you," he nodded, and Sparrow's beads flew back as the wind took another breath and pushed against us, ice slashing against my skin, Will's hand cold and lifeless, "We're definitely getting out of this place."

"Assure? Well, you did also _assure _me that we wouldn't get into any trouble down here, that Hel wouldn't find us, and that we would just Will and go quietly-"

"I never said that."

"Yeah, you did. I remember-"

"The point, me dame," he grinned, and that maniac smile just got a little wider, the golden curls wild in the snow, Will's dark hair flopping against his bronze cheek, "The point. What's our plan?"

Will's little finger shivered against my palm.

The wound on my neck still throbbed.

"Our plan?"

"Yes, after this," a notch of impatience, but then Balder was looking forward again, golden curls crashing, bare feet buried away yet untouched by the snow, "When we return, back to your world. Well, my world, now that I think about it-"

"Our?"

"Yes, our. What's the plan then, eh?"

I didn't answer him.

Not immediately.

After all, what was I supposed to say?

_Plan?_

_What plan?_

"I don't have a plan," the fog of my words whipped back in the wind, crashing against my cheeks and clouding my eyes, the medicine man's eye chiming a laughing tune in my ear as it sang along with a storm, my fingers cold and numb, my insides frozen dead, "There _is_ no plan. Not really-"

"So what? Do you just intend to pop right back into the living world? Just like that?"

"Oh yeah?" I scrunched my nose, a frown settling deep into my face as I hugged the coat tighter, never letting Will go, "What's your plan then? Huh? Killing your family?"

Silence.

Cold silence.

For a second, it was as if Balder wasn't breathing anymore, his feet crunching deep into the snow, his body silent, his words lost in the icy whirl. No sound came from him, nothing but his heavy steps, crushing ice beneath his sole. Will's black coat flapped against his body, beating his bronze naked chest like a drum.

Wind tore at my ears.

_I just want to go home._

Ice clawed at my ankles.

_My real home._

Will's hand shivered.

_Home._

Balder breathed.

"If you're talking about earlier, with my sister-"

"You know what? I don't care, " it came so flat, so very flat and for the first time, I realised just how exhausted and tired and hungry I was, the burning blood of the sword having died out ago, my body suddenly weak and helpless and pathetic in the icy storm, "I don't give a fuck. You want to kill all your brothers and sisters, and start the apocalypse? _Fine. _Go ahead. I don't care. Not anymore. I'm going home."

"And where exactly is that, me dame?"

Silence.

Burning, icy silence.

_Home._

I tried to not look at Will's hand.

After all, he was right.

He was so right.

Where was home?

_Jared? _

_Was Jared home? _

_After everything?_

_After what Scarlett did?_

_Was Jared still home?_

_What's home?_

The world was dark and cold.

_What's home?_

And then, the ground gave away beneath me.

It was so sudden, so very abrupt, just a spill of the land, and my feet was moving downhill, rendering helpless to gravity as I began to slip down a white, sudden slope, my hand slipping away from Will's-

Until Balder caught me, fingers stabbing gold into the white and grabbing my arm, holding me back. Hand burned, hot and fiery against my clothed arm, strong as steel, stopping me completely and holding me in place. A soft gasp of surprised spilled out of my lips, my heart thundering in my ears-

And then, I finally saw it.

_Finally._

Somehow, in all that talk, in all that icy wind and howling madness and pure terror, we had made it, we had finally, finally made it; there, lying in pristine, like a dream of hope, was the Styx, a jagged jewel in the icy world. It stretched, long and dark, it's width thin and narrow but it's length stretching on through the snow, fading away into the white darkness. Lines, perfect, thin lines carved where the river met the snow, all elegant and crafted, the design of an intelligent creator, twisting and dancing away, into the far distance. Snow, pale white snow banked against the river itself, pure and innocent against the dark of the stream, it's curves and twists so lovely, so very delicate; on the other side of the river, the narrow, thin river, ice faded into the black, nothing noticeable, nothing imaginable except the drifting snow and the howling black darkness. Snow banked up along the river, small, uneven hills of white dipping down to the very edge of the icy black in the snow, the bank long and white, high above the river itself; it was almost like a groove, as if the river had worn itself through the snow, burrowing a path through the ice, a path on its own. Black clashed against white, and elegant curves wisped away into the dancing snow, my feet leaning over the edge of my bank as I looked down at the fabled river and it's never-ending path into the icy blizzard, into the white tempest-

And I blinked.

And blinked.

_And blinked._

"It's frozen."

Balder chuckled.

"It _is _winter."

_Fuck._

Below, the Styx was frozen, completely frozen, hard, black ice against the falling white snow; there was no water, no ripples, no lapping waves licking against the icy shore, no water streaming, roaring, down one way, moving at its own pace, alive and kicking. There was no action, no movement, not even a shiver of a ripple; it was just ice, pure, untouchable, unshakeable ice. It was black ice, perfect ice, carving atop the river, a perfect glass slate over the black waters, a hard mirror against the soft falling snow. There was nothing, no movement except the wild snow falling on its perfect smooth face, a river of ice carving through the soft dunes of snow and fading away into the wild storm. Nothing could touch it, could change it.

It was just ice.

Perfect, black ice.

_Ice._

My voice came out in a squeak.

"It's frozen."

Balder chuckled again, golden in a black and white world.

"Aye."

My insides moaned.

"_Frozen_."

The wind carried his laughing voice.

"Aye. Aye, aye, ayitty, aye-"

"It's frozen, Balder!" I snapped, and slapped his hot hand away from my arm, pulling back over the edge of the snow bank and throwing a fiery glare at him, staring up at his golden form, my voice cracking with frustration, "Don't you get it? _Frozen._ Like ice. Like, like…like _not water_-"

"I know what frozen is, dame. I can see it as clearly as you-"

"Then stop grinning and do something!" I was beginning to yell, I couldn't help it, my insides beginning to burn, my heart starting to flutter, to jump about, brain racing hot through the cold as I glared up into his golden face, Will's body so very quiet, "It's _frozen_, Balder!"

His grin was like a wicked star.

"So?"

I wanted to punch him.

"So? _So_? Charon, you idiot!"

His grin only got a little wider.

"Ah, Charon!" He beamed, all snarky and arrogant, golden curls crashing across his laughing, wicked blue eyes, his arm shifting Will's limp weight about his shoulders, "Oh, yes. I remember! We were supposed to find him-"

"And get him to take us back to the mortal world-"

"Right, right, me dame, and-"

"AND THE RIVER IS FROZ-"

He shoved me.

_Shoved me._

One moment, I was standing, heart pounding fires in the icy whirl, yelling up at his cheeky smile, and then he pushed me over the icy edge and I was rolling down the bank, head over heels. Black robe fluttered wildly as I grabbed the air, shocked, rolling helplessly like a lost little ball, trashing through the icy hill. Beads chimed, my heart pounding in my mouth and gravity seized me completely-

And landed me, on my ass, at the sloping edge of the frozen river.

Head pounded back against ice.

Red flashed across my eyes.

_Ow._

Balder's laughing voice rang through the thrilling white snow.

"You alright, me dame?"

A free hand went up to grab at my aching head.

"What the hell…" I murmured, not that loud as I slowly pulled up into a sitting position, rubbing the sore back of my head as the cruel black ice bit into my back, dark boots still dangling above the white bank; above, Balder was walking down the bank, sliding over the icy hill and down towards me without much effort, Will still slumped over his shoulder. Blue eyes beamed down at me, bright and ever so beautiful.

Pain throbbed down my neck.

_Ow._

I raised my voice.

"What the hell, Balder?" I frowned, licking away the ice crystals on my lips, trying to ignore the aching pain. The wound on my neck paled from the headache I was starting to get.

A bitter rolled over my tongue.

_Ow._

Balder grinned.

"You were talking too much, dame," he beamed and offered a hand down to me, blonde curls laughing, bright and eager, but I just knocked him away, pushing to my feet on my own, glaring at him the entire time, "Have I ever told you that? You talk too much. You never ever, ever, ever seem to quite shut up-"

"And you're just an idiot."

"Perhaps," he winked, and without a single sound, reached down towards me and pulled me up with one hand, grabbing my black robe and pulling me with it. Bones ached, muscles twanged and a sound of protest spilled from my icy lips as the ice slipped beneath me-

And Balder hoisted me up to my feet, like a rag doll made to stand.

_Like we were all rag dolls. _

I pushed him away.

He just chuckled.

_Idiot._

And then, he walked away, Will still limp over his shoulder, trudging across the thick black ice to the centre of the narrow river. Hills of snow banked us on either side, like a giant white trench, covering us, protecting us from the howls of the icy whirl; above, the snow still danced, wild and roaring, untameable and brutal, but down here, hidden between the banks, the snow fell like jewel crystals, soft and gentle, a sweet, long melody. Fat white flaks, like pompous gems, twirled down onto the icy river, coating it with a soft, white crisp. Wind kissed against the white hills, spraying the cold, pale snow.

The ice was as hard as ground.

I shivered.

_Crap._

Before me, Balder turned back, grinning like a child, blue eyes bright and eager, his dusky lips parting, mouth opening to say something-

But I cut him off.

Mainly because I didn't really care anymore.

"What now?" I scowled, rubbing the back of my head, trying to ignore the faint throbbing of my skull, my tongue bitter and raw, Sparrow's beads chiming against my cheek, cold laughter indeed. Black robe fluttered faintly, dark drenched in faded white snow.

My short hair bristled near the open wound.

Balder grinned.

"Now, we get out of here."

He said like it was the simplest thing.

"Get out of here?"

"Aye."

"Ok," I took a few steps forward, the black ice beneath hard and strong, like the earth itself, wispy white snowflakes dancing around my ankles, "Well, then? Any plans, genius?"

His blue eyes flared like a brilliant azure light.

"Well, we did plan to find Charon-"

"Until we discovered that the river was frozen-"

"Oh that?" he scrunched up his nose, a touch of dramatics playing into his voice as he looked over at me with purposed exaggeration, beaming too wide, voice too shocked, a mocking tone that pricked the back of my neck, "That's it, dame? That's what you're so sulky over? The frozen river?"

Yet again, I wanted to punch him.

"_Of course_, I am," I spat, rubbing my head, relishing in the pain, frustration tearing away at what was left of my heart, Will hanging limp and dead, "How on earth are you supposed to summon Charon if the river is ice? He can't find us now."

A wink of flashing blue.

"That's where you're wrong, me dame-"

"Balder-"

And then, just like that, he stuck out his free hand, clenched in a fist, and began to sweep wildly, dramatic, completely silly, his large naked feet dancing back and forth on the slippery ice, his face twisted in a dramatic grin. He ducked back and forth, moving about to some inaudible music, to some invisible enemy, bobbing up and down, looking so damn stupid-

And then, twisting to the side, releasing his clenched fist, and grabbing over his heart, feigning some kind of injury. His face screwed up in mute, exaggerated pain, as he pretended to cry in agony, his knees dropping dramatically to the hard ice, a mute cry tearing from his lips. Will held on, somehow still there on his shoulder, the god's face twisted in over-dramatic fake pain-

I sighed.

"Are you pretending to be stabbed by a sword?"

Golden curls shook and he snapped out of it, fast and quick.

A cheeky grin beamed through the fog of white.

"Oh, you're good at this game!"

Another long, miserable sigh.

_Freaking idiot._

Without another word, I reached down into my robe and pulled my sword out from the dark fold, holding tight to the hilt; at touch, the gold burned as usual, the beautiful, delicious warmth burning through my skin and soaring through my blood, consuming all cold, melting away all numbness, flooding all my senses like a giant, rolling golden wave-

And I had to shake it off.

Now wasn't time, after all.

_Not now._

Will's hand hung cold and dead.

_Not now._

I cleared my throat.

"Ok," I nodded once, ignoring the rush of golden bliss as I heaved the sword upward, the silver hot stabbing up into the white world, red ruby burning with gorgeous joy, Will such a pale and distant figure in horrid comparison, "Here's the sword. What now?"

The wind screamed.

Balder grinned.

"Now, you stab it," he said simply enough, pulling off his dramatic stance, up off his knees and forward towards me, moving confidently and surely as always, Will hanging behind like a dead and useless sack. Ice boomed softly, gentle vibrations against my boots as Balder waltzed his over towards me again, a hulk of brilliant gold in an icy world. Blue eyes beamed, alive and eager.

Excited.

Always excited.

_Not now._

Golden fires burned through my veins.

Will hung quiet as the ice.

A howl tore through the night.

_Not now._

I bit my lip.

"Stab it?"

Balder couldn't stop grinning.

"Aye!"

Fires raged through my blood.

"Um…where again?"

Balder didn't answer.

Instead, he pointed down with one golden finger, towards his feet, and I followed it, looking down to his bronze, naked feet on the black ice, wondering why, for the love of everything, would he want me to stab his feet-

_The ice._

Sparrow's beads laughed in my ears.

_Oh._

With a soft sigh, I parted my feet, and held the hilt with two hands, clenching it tight, letting the warmth soar through me as I pointed the blazing silver blade down, towards the black ice, between Balder, Will and I, a bright, beautiful light in a starved, white world. Red ruby laughed, taunting me, laughing cruelly at me.

The wind snickered.

The snow clawed.

My breath was just a white fog.

"Stab the ice?" I whispered, looking down at it, at the blemished, scratched surface, the waters beneath all black and dark, snow drifting over the smooth ice, stark white against the abyss. Balder's feet gleamed gold against the monotone world.

His voice was, for some reason, also a whisper.

"Exactly."

Fires raged through my mind.

"But…you sure the blade can cut it? The ice…it looks pretty thick."

Will's black robe fluttered in between us.

"The blade can cut anything, dame."

Something burned in my throat.

"Even hell ice?"

Balder chuckled.

"Especially hell ice."

The blade was burning, burning so warm and beautiful in my hands, and I looked up, past Balder's eager eyes and towards Will's slumped body, unmoving against the god's shoulder.

Unmoving.

Pale.

Ashen.

Dead.

_Not now._

My eyes fell back to Balder's.

Something choked in my throat.

"What happens?"

Golden curls laughed.

"What?"

"What happens when I stab the…ice? Will we drown?"

Another chuckle, a rolling, golden chuckle.

"Charon will find us, dame. Don't worry."

Red ruby laughed.

"What if he doesn't?"

Blue eyes beamed.

"Trust me."

_Trust me._

_Trust me._

I closed my eyes.

And then, I drove the blade downwards, eyes fluttering open helplessly as the fiery silver blade crashed against the harsh ice, bright sparks flying upwards, through the icy air-

And the blade cut right through, slicing through the thick, solid black ice as if it were nothing more then water, perfect and slick, so very easy, blazing silver clashing against the wispy, messy white snow and the harsh, cruel ice. Fires burned through my skin, warm delicious flames as the red ruby flared, bright and alive, my guts ripping apart as a helpless gasp spilled from my lips-

A loud crack.

A booming, thunderous crack.

_Oh God._

Silence.

Absolute silence.

For a moment, I just stood there, holding the burning hilt, keeping the sword stabbed into the ice, body barely daring to move, to breathe as a thundering silence filled the icy world, pounding against my head, ringing in my ears, a horrible, horrible, dreadful silence-

And then, like a snap of fingers, a gold crack broke through the ice.

_Oh God._

It appeared from the sword, leading out from the break point, from the ice that had spilt away for the sword, a zig zag of brilliant gold splintering through the harsh ice. It was sudden, so very sudden, a loud crack following its path as it broke through, a splinter of brilliant gold, bright light flooding upward from the fissure, as if the water beneath was made of gold-

And then, another crack, forward this time, splintering through the ice, a jagged, crude fracture of golden light snapping forward through the whipping snow, across the cruel ice-

And then, another, faster, a loud booming crack-

One more, cutting between my legs, moving fast, moving loud, golden light spilling up into the snowy storm-

And then, another one, snapping beneath Balder's feet, bright and beautiful, golden light escaping from the jagged fracture, cracks thundering up into the icy wind-

And then, one more, slithering like a golden snake-

Another there, snapping quick and alive-

Yet another, golden light laughing up to the world-

One more, tearing across the ice, cracks snapping, loud and horrible-

And then, Balder's free arm threw around my neck.

_**Hold on.**_

The ice collapsed.

**8888888888**

I couldn't think.

Not really.

_Not anymore._

One moment, I was falling, and then, there was ice, cold, cruel, bitter ice, frigid water engulfing me, consuming me, rushing down my throat, my veins, down to my heart, extinguishing all fires, destroying all hope. Everything collapsed, every thought, every breath, bitter black water devouring me whole, swallowing me up like a dark beast hungry for my fiery blood; there was nothing, nothing but the darkness, the horrible, black abyss, and the icy grip of the waters, jagged, bloody bitter claws slashing across my body, hacking away at me. Lungs froze, vile cold water rushing down my windpipe, the fires in my blood dying as the numbing waters ripped me apart, the world so very black, so very cold…

And hands were pulling me down.

_Hands._

_Claws._

I was falling, dropping through the watery hell, the blackness, the ice devouring me as claws of blood gripped my ankle, my body so pathetic, so very helpless as the waters of Hell took me, engulfing me, eyes blind, throat burning with ice, my every sense completely ripped apart, my body ravaged by the icy, lurid nightmare. Nothing existed anymore, absolutely nothing, nothing but the darkness and the screaming black cold, the very last of my soul slipping away into the grips of death itself…

_Will._

Something pulled me apart.

_Will._

I couldn't tell what was happening, I couldn't even think; it was just so cold, so very, very cold, and so dark, as if all the stars had gone out and the world was nothing more then a black, black hole, a never-ending abyss of icy bitter cold-

And the I burst through the surface, breaking through the black waters like a dagger through the night, a whole new different world, air, sweet, beautiful air rushing, shoving down my throat as the darkness peeled back, a dull amber light in the far distance. Stars flared to life, and water eased around me, my dead, helpless body surging above the dark, icy abyss, the black world letting me go, releasing me to above. Air rushed, so sweet, so wonderful, fires burning behind my eyes as muscles began to spring, my lips parting helplessly, breathing, swallowing up the sweet, sweet air, instinct and madness screaming in my blood as the cold gnawed to the bone-

_And I'm alive._

_I'm alive._

A gasp, a quick, trembling gasp squeezed out of my body as the water pulled me down again, the blackness clawing me, taking me back, ice burning through my blood as the stars faded back into the darkness-

And then, some how, I was out of water.

_Will._

I didn't know how it happened; one minute, I was there, drowning in the cold, in the fading light, letting the black engulf me all over again-

And then, I was lying back, on dry wood, a plume of flames dancing above my head. Everything was blurry, wet and foggy, light splintering in the darkness as the world rocked back and forth, shapes nothing but shadows, light dancing a soft, sad tune. Voices whispered, odd, strange voices, the sound of water ringing thick in my ears as the world reeled back and forth, so unclear, so very far away. Everything was so hazy, a smudge of a word, shadows and shapes and whispers in the amber dark, as if…

As if it were all a dream.

As if I were dead.

Truly dead.

_The Lighter Lands._

_Heaven._

_This was heaven._

_I was in heaven._

_I finally died and now, I'm in-_

"Up, up, up, child! There we go!" A voice rang, loud and clear, and all of a sudden, a golden head appeared in the world, a bright golden head with laughing blue eyes, staring down at me with the silliest smile. It was unfocused, a hazy mirage in the dim world, a halo of gold springing bright like a transcendent sun, blue eyes alive, beautiful and bright-

A halo.

_An angel?_

No.

No.

It couldn't be, could it?

I mean, if it was an angel…

Then I was truly dead.

I had finally died.

_I was in heaven._

_I'm dead, and this is paradise-_

Pain snapped through my nose.

"Ow!"

"Ah, you _are_ alive!" the voice cried again, and the fog began to clear, the strange haze to the world, the colours leaking back in, shadows slowly taking their shapes as the golden curls laughed down at me, blue eyes becoming clearer and clearer and clearer, the dream dissolving away into something real, something dark, "Well, yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No, you've been dead for quite a bit. Yes, you're not _dead _dead, if there were ever such a thing, and I know, that after 4000 years, me dame, you should never, ever ride anything off. Well, maybe except getting a banana in Hell, because that's just a bloody lie-"

"Balder?" Because now I could see him, looming over me, a huge giant blob in my world, the golden laughing curls suddenly so familiar, those odd blue eyes like distant orbs of memory, the same sharp nose, the familiar flawless dusky skin-

And then, he grinned, and even in of the fog of the world, I knew that it was him.

That it was Balder.

Not an angel.

Balder.

My Balder.

_Alive._

A little smile tugged at my lips.

_Alive._

"Help me up."

I didn't ask twice.

In the clearing fog, in the dispelling blur and faint haze, Balder pulled me upright, shoving me off my back; muscles sprang awake, and then, my entire body seemed to stretch, the numbness melting as action screamed through my blood again. Bone shivered, cold and icy, and my skin was still so very wet, the black robe stuck to my body as ice trembled down my back, a horrid cold still squeezing over my neck. Fingers cracked, awake from the cold, hair stuck to the back of my neck, trails of water encircling my neck, like an icy noose ready to finish me off. Lungs spasmed, wet and cold, gut fallen through a sickly black hole. Every part of me seemed trapped, icy and bitter.

A gasp spilled from my lips.

My head throbbed.

_Alive._

_It hurt to be alive._

There was a bitter taste in my throat, a horrid, icy bitter taste and as I swallowed back, waking up my muscles, the world cleared up in front of me, colours fading back, shapes burning into view, shadows flickering in the darkness as the fog of the cold and terror slowly lifted off my eyes, and I could see-

A boat.

We were on a boat.

_Alive._

It was a small boat, practically a canoe, all smooth, deep edges and pointed ends, rough wood rocking beneath to the soft slapping of dark waves. It was too dark to see anything, to any sort of detail, but there was leg room, a wide berth that seemed just a little too comfortable, the wood beneath cold and icy against my shivering skin. The centre was widest, and behind me, at its rear tip, a torch of fire whispered above our heads, flickering amber shadows all about this strange world of darkness, black wood gliding in the deep, carved so very elegantly, so very beautifully-

With a black-robed figure standing at its head.

_Oh God._

It was too dark, far, far too dark, but all I could see its back, a long black robe gliding down the length of the boat, the figure standing at the very first seat, unmoving in the amber shadows. It had a hood, a large, black hood, and there was nothing to tell of it, nothing to say of it except that it was a shadow, a dark shifting shadow that didn't seem to be there, didn't seem to be real. A long, dark stick was held in its hand, the strange paddle sinking in and out of the water slowly, pushing the boat forward like you push a raft, slaps of water sounding in the crisp icy silence with each, trembling movement. There was no face, no eyes, nothing at all but the dark shadow standing silent at the very edge of the boat, moving us forward.

Dark as the cold.

Silent as my heart.

_Alive._

My breath was a trembling whisper.

"Is that Charon?"

Balder's voice came from beside me, a low, dark chuckle.

"The boatman of the Underworld," he whispered, and held me up with one damp arm strapped around my hip, his large body warm and hot as shivers ran down my skin, my tongue so bitter, my brain so numb, every part of me trembling from the icy cold; beside me, Balder was wet too, drenched, golden curls darker then usual under the amber shadows, little pale drops of water gliding down his dark skin, ringing around his eyes. His chest was drenched too, and his satchel was still strapped tight to his chest, rings of golden curls dripping pure black jewels onto the wooden floor of the boat. Blue eyes flared bright, so alive, so very thrilled.

It was as if he wasn't cold at all.

_Alive._

I leaned against his warmth.

"How?" I couldn't feel my tongue, but there it was, words spilling out of me as I leaned back against Balder's naked shoulder, lapping in the warmth of his skin, trying to burn away the miserable, gnawing cold, "How did he find us?"

A little chuckle, and Balder let me lean in closer to him.

"I told you to trust me."

Sparrow's beads chimed cold against my ear.

"Yeah. Not doing that again."

Another laugh, low but golden as usual-

Then, I saw him.

_Will._

He was there, lying in front of us, at the other end of the boat, down on his side, dark hair wet and wild, the edge of his boots twisted against the side of the boat, digging into the wood. Amber light danced upon his tanned face, drops of water glistening like jewels as they glided about his skin, bright, beaming jewels, trailing across his dark fiery cheek and dripping over his strong jaw, dark against the rough wood. His hair was so wet, darker then usual, and hanging over his face and neck in a wild tangle, fingers clawing into the wood as he lay still on his side, helpless and silent. Dark leather splayed about his body, a blanket of black almost as dark as Charon a few steps behind him, water gleaming like teardrops of fire against the darkness of his coat; the maroon shirt beneath was soaked, sucked drenched to his slender body, the faint gleam of the golden medallion burning bright under the whispering amber light. Dark lashes kissed against perfect cheekbones, wet and perfect, forever shut.

My heart burned to cinders.

_Will._

My insides screamed.

_How could I forget about Will?_

Without another word, I tore away from Balder's warm embrace and crawled over to Will, dying to touch him, to make sure that he was ok, that he was going to make it, to protect him even if it meant falling back into the darkness all over again-

_Will._

With a soft sob, I touched him and then, with the little strength I had, I pulled him onto my lap, cold, miserable fingers gripping tightly around his pale wrists, insides churning at how cold his skin was, how silent his body was, how light he seemed to be as I dragged his head onto my lap and bent down towards him, holding him, just holding him, never ever wanting to let go ever again-

Because I couldn't.

I wouldn't.

Not ever again.

Not ever, ever again.

Once we were alive again, once we were free-

I was never letting go of him.

Not once.

Not even a single minute.

No matter what happened.

No matter death.

I would never let him go again.

I would never leave him.

_Never._

I bent forward and planted a single, shivering kiss onto his icy forehead.

_Never._

Balder's voice rang like a bell.

"You dropped something, dame."

There was a loud crack, and when I looked up, Balder's sword was sitting in between him and us, glowing like a star in the whole new world, a bright beautiful light in the never-ending darkness-

But I looked away.

Away from the light.

Away from the warmth.

_Away._

And down at Will.

_Never._

"Keep it," I murmured, back bent, trembling lips caressing against Will's still, ashen, icy forehead, my arms gripping tight to him as I held on, holding on to whatever was left of him.

Of Will.

Of my beautiful Will.

Of my love.

Of my world.

_Stay with me._

Water slapped, deep and dark.

Body shivered, crisp and trembling.

Wood rocked, back and forth.

Silence screamed.

_Stay with me._

Balder chuckled.

"Just a little more, Joey. Hold on to him. Just a little more."

**+ The END+**

**Please review and tell me what you think about this! Love you guys lots and see you soon!  
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**XOXO**


	7. Sunlight

**Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs.**

**Thanks for your reviews, guys! Here's the next one.**

**Chapter 6: Sunlight**

It was the sunlight that woke me up.

_Sunlight._

It was warm, a soft, gentle kiss against the cold touch of my skin, whispering, lingering, burning tenderly through the frigid ice, gliding over my bitter skin like summer rains, slow and warm; it was like the breath of spring, the warm whispers of a soft lullaby trailing through the dark world, and for a moment, for just a moment, it felt like I was still in a dream, a dark fantasy fading away in the gentle stroke of golden light. Toes wiggled, and the warmth burned right through, so soft, so very beautiful, the horrid cold withering away in the dark nightmare, the golden warmth taking over, consuming me. Blackness washed away, like sands under the warm waves, my entire body beginning to burn with the golden warmth-

A bird whistled in the distance.

I opened my eyes.

_Sunlight._

It was beautiful, a blast of gold burning straight at me as I fluttered my eyes open, wrenching my eyelids apart, the darkness fading away as bright, burning light shot through the world, so very bright, so very painful. My muscles winced as the golden daggers stabbed right through me, so strange, so very different from the cold icy darkness that it actually seemed to burn, strokes of fire writhing down my temples as pain shot to the back of my head, bolts of brilliant flames-

And I turned away, away from the bright, bright light, shielding my face with my short fringe as I turned away from the golden blaze and down towards my lap, towards the welcoming dark mess of Will's damp hair, towards the deep black of the robe. Wood gleamed gold, silver nails glowing like diamonds in the brilliant light, bristles of black strands burning like white threads in the golden warmth, fires gnawing against my skin; the cold was melting, melting away, and my skin was now raw and naked, the light burning so bright, so very strong against my shielding face, a warmth I could barely remember. Everything seemed to be on fire.

Beautiful, golden fire.

It was strong, lapping against my cheeks, so strange, so very odd, the simple, comforting golden light of the dream burning into a bright sun, as if there indeed, just a few miles away, a star burned through the world, melting away all the cold, darkness fleeing in its wake; below, in my lap, half of Will's silent, sleeping face seemed to be on fire, shadows running away from the star's brilliant golden fingers, half his face the colour of young suns and treasured golds. His sharp nose seemed be alight, and his black coat leaped with whispering, translucent shadows, golden wavy lines of water reflections shimmering all about his still body, a mirage of gold over ice. Silver buttons winked, playful little stars against the dawning day of his coat, maroon cloth burning like red flames. Dark lashes fluttered, golden and beautiful like the softest whisper.

Fires burned through the black robe.

Beautiful, golden fires.

_Sunlight._

Balder sighed.

"Sunrise."

I couldn't breathe.

For a second, the light burned again, cruel and harsh, slamming against my foreign eyes, my changed eyes, burning viciously as I turned around and looked straight at it again, pain writhing beneath my skin, flames burning across my body, so bright, so very bright-

And then, it began to fade, falling away like fog in the wind, withering, dying, darkness seeping back into the world as the star began to burn less and less, pulling back, reining back, falling away into a soft, beautiful slumber…

And then, I saw it.

I actually saw it.

_Oh God._

Before us, spilling out beyond us, beyond our little rocking boat, beyond Charon's black hooded back, beyond the imaginations of my world, was a river, a wide, giant river, stretching leaps of water painted into the world on either side. It was massive, so very wide, a thick, slow-moving river sitting like a wide flat disc of gold right before us; beneath, the little boat rocked in the small, golden waves of the deep river, bobbing helplessly upon soft licking waters, tilting back and forth on the rolling golden hills. Before, the river ran slow and deep, barely a current in sight, all the waters stretching away from us in a beautiful wisp of golden light, drenched in the sun's ever-radiant glow. Waves licked against wood, gold against black, and the sound of slapping water was like a tune in the warm light, a sweet melody playing in the morning's air, a waking song to the beautiful world. In the distance, a grey bird skidded over the water, hunting for prey, singing along to the soft laughter of the waves, sweet and ever alive.

Alive.

_Alive._

I could barely breathe.

_Alive._

All around me, the wind laughed, giggling along to the soft slapping of waves, bristling against my fiery skin, clashing cool against the hot burning touches of the golden light; but it was still warm, a beautiful, delicious warmth, a wonderful wind whirling around me, toying with my hair and murmuring into my ears, kissing my cheeks as it whipped over the golden waves. It was sweet, sweet and delicious, fresh like the river itself and with something fouler beneath, but so warm, so very warm, toying with the golden light in a dance, a gorgeous little minaret, a waltz in the sunrise. Birds called through the wind, loud, bustling, hungry, alive, blimps of dark darting about the golden light as the wind pushed them about like puppets on strings, the warm air laughing up into the wild, wild world. Ripples of gold and jewels, gems of clear splashed through the air as little waves crashed into one another, dancing the world with diamonds, everything so bright and pretty and golden; far away, down the length of the massive, wide river, dark shadows of boats bobbed obscurely in the bright gleam of the golden light. It was too vague, and too bright to see, but there were boats, some of them, sails of white fluttering like golden wings into the morning's air, wood creaking, whispering across the warm wind. Water giggled, bright and eager in the warm embrace.

And alive.

So very alive.

_Alive._

My heart was so silent.

_Alive._

On either side of the boat, our small little boat lost in the wide sea of the golden river, the water gleamed, beautiful and deep, so bright, so very golden that nothing could be seen through it, nothing at all; water stretched away from us, golden and deep, dotted with swans and skimming ducks, and bobs of gleaming trash. There were no boats nearby, none that I could see, and the water stretched radiant and wide, gold and transcendent until, on either side, the dark pillars of brick, grown out of the waters, cutting the glorious golden width midway. They were black pillars, massive pillars and though the light was so bright, so very beautiful, they stood untouched and unloved, massive brick structures tearing out of the golden waters and reaching up into the sky, bright green algae frothing along their sides. Above, cutting horizontally meters above the end of the boat, a large expanse of brick stretched unmarked and untouched, dark as the night itself, a wondrous contrast against the golden beam of the world. Golden water reflected onto the mouldy surface, high up in the air, like constellations of stars playing, dancing against an age-old sky; as the boat bobbed on, Charon's long bow digging deep into the golden flames of water, we moved farther and farther away from the brick pillars and ceiling until, at long last, we could see that it was some sort of bridge, a big, dark bridge, spanning over the golden waters. It was massive, so very massive, a dark shadow against the golden light of the burning world, stretching straight and perfect, a linear, horizontal line down the width of the river, high above, untouched by the gold. Pillars held it up, the black strong pillars of algae, and its body stretched long and wide, bank to bank, a giant, massive ancient bridge, an artwork in its own right. There was too much light to see any details, to see the bridge even better but it was beautiful and old, like something out of stories, like something out of dreams. Dark arches whipped, bridge of solid shadow-

And for a second, for just a second, I thought about Hel.

About her castle.

About the Underworld.

_Alive._

A bird screamed in the distance.

_Alive._

I turned back to the gold.

_So alive._

The river was very wide, very gold, and very beautiful, the wind so sweet and warm, the ships and boats bobbing in the distance like the stuff of paintings and novels, steady and strong against the mild currents of the deep river, flapping golden sails and rocking oars, gold bleeding bright into the world, taking away every other colour, burning against my skin. The distance was a blur, a bright, golden blur, but the width, though wide, was not daunting, not unreachable like a sea, the shores on both sides gleaming with golden light of the rising sun. Dinghies and boats rested against little wooden jetties at the banks, little tiny quays; bobbing, unsteady things, they were, pathetic and old, ropes of yarn gleaming bright gold between them as white sails wavered along the shores on either side, boat after boat trailing along the golden edge in a messy, dark tangle. Beyond the little piers, washed in the golden light, cobblestone stair lined with dark, shadowy object, moving blurs that I could barely see beyond the warm, beautiful golden light, everything gleaming and sparkling and glowing like the sun itself, all darkness and ice melting away-

And the city glowing in the sunrise.

_The city._

On either side of the wide golden river, piercing high up into the yellow dawn skies were buildings, sprawling, golden buildings, structure after structure filing down the golden shores, fading away into the radiant distance; dark, slumping, slouching buildings tangled together along the bright banks, twisting arches and crooked bricks stabbing up and down and up and down, haphazard patterns and weird lengths, everything out of synch. It was a mirage, a hallucination, the rows of golden-tinted building like gleaming teeth, jagged, broken teeth stabbing out of a monster's mouth, the golden river its fiery tongue, the ships and boats the helpless victims; there seemed to be no order, not from this distance, no particular theme, no design, the jagged teeth messy, chaotic, as if someone had drawn out the city at a mere fancy, imitating a monster's set of teeth clomping up into the golden skies. Tall towers pierced alongside low and shallow gold-tinted roofs, sharp angles and crude blunts, trails of walls cutting through the jumbled mess of golden buildings, forts here and there, as if build blindly around the tall towers and short fat houses. Even from this distance, in the wince of the golden light and the fade of every other colour, the city still looked chaotic on either side, a mess, a tangle, a jumbled slapdash of bricks and mortar and elegant design; buildings lay next to each other without purpose, all over the place, and above, caught between the varying, messy heights, frails of black smoke hovered over the city on either side, a black cloud wisping away, shadows in the golden light. Chimneys stuck out everywhere, absolutely everywhere, nasty little things stabbing out of dark chaos, black pumes of smoke throttling out their narrow pipes and out over the messy city, a dark shifting shadow, whipping away in the warm, golden wind.

Black against the beautiful gold.

Larger buildings stood at the back, massive dark shapes painted gold, terrifying over the city's haphazard heights but still so very ugly against the golden silence of the river and peaceful hum of the wind, a monstrous tangle dancing along the edge of the golden shores, piercing up into the skies. Jetties swayed, messy little things, lining up along the shores, cobblestones and wooden pillars tangling up towards the messy sprawl, everything so confusing and odd and jumbled up as if nothing had been planned, nothing at all, the dark mess so very ugly against the peaceful, deep river and its golden lapping waves, an odd and ugly city on both sides of the beautiful river-

And there, in the east, rising slowly above the chaos, above the shadowy towers and through the whispering smoke, the sun glowed, inching through the sky, its bright golden light chasing away all colour, all darkness, all bitter ice

_All death._

The warm world sang a waking, merry tune.

_Alive._

Birds laughed.

_Alive._

Water danced.

_Alive._

City woke.

_Alive._

My voice came out in a frail, weak whisper.

"We're back," I could barely hear myself, nor believe the words that came out, my heart stopping, my breath still as I gazed out over the beautiful waters and living world, and the rising sun, the radiant sun, the forever-missed sun, my entire body burning with the heat of life, "We're back."

The wind laughed against my ears.

Sparrow's beads kissed against my cheeks.

_We're back._

Balder chuckled.

"So we are."

And then, he reached forward and touched my neck, and his warm fingers felt lovely against my fiery skin, so comforting, so real, and for a moment, I turned away from the beautiful world, the living, breathing world, and ugly misshapen city, and back towards Balder in our boat; in the full glare of the sunrise, he never looked so handsome, so beautiful, his golden curls alight, his blue eyes flaring bright. His smile was soft and sweet, so very gentle, and as I stared him in the gleam of the fiery golden light, his fingers pressed deeper into my neck, warm and strong. Instinctively, I reached over his fingers, curious and a little annoyed-

And there was no blood.

There was no wound.

No pain.

Nothing.

_Nothing._

Nothing but the bare skin, the warm skin burning under the sun's glare, no blemish, no scar, nothing but smooth, soft skin, completely healed-

Completely alive.

_Oh God._

Without another word, I flung Balder's warm fingers away and bent down towards the man asleep in my lap, hands reaching down towards him, heart springing to life as my brain snapped awake, shock pounding, questions burning, everything suddenly so clear and so bright and so, so full of energy, my fingers burning as I reached down-

And held the sides of Will's head, my own heart hammering, my mind whirling. Dark, curly hair brushed against my skin, still damp, still cold as my fingers slid over his brazen cheeks and cupped either side of his face, my own breath caught in my throat as I leaned in towards him, holding him, never letting him go. Half of him burned gold in the sun's light, so beautiful, so utterly beautiful, and my breath held back, caught in my lungs as I leaned in towards him, holding him close, pressing my lips against his warming forehead and listened-

To his soft, soft breath.

_Alive._

I could barely speak.

"He's alive."

_Alive._

Balder's voice was just another chuckle.

"Told you to trust me."

_Alive._

I couldn't think.

_Will was alive._

For a moment, all I did was hold him, hold his warming body, hold the sides of his beautiful, beautiful face, lips pressed against his forehead as I listened to his breathing, his soft, slow breathing, a gentle tune, a beautiful song, even more lovely then the hums of the wind and the laugh of water, so precious and pure and so very real; he was breathing, and he was alive, and-

_Will was alive._

I turned slowly, away from the warm forehead, a smile spilling across my lips as my heart sighed with utter relief, my entire body trembling, fires racing. The air was so fresh and sweet.

Balder's eyes were beautiful.

I smiled.

"You did it."

His grin cracked like the sun.

"We did it."

And nothing more was said.

Not for a while.

For the longest time, we just stared at each other, and I just held Will, feeling his body breathing, heart soaring at the reality, and the pure fact that we were out of Hel, out of the darkness and ice, that we were back, that we were alive once again.

Alive.

Finally alive.

Will and I.

We were both alive again.

_Alive._

His breath sang like a tune.

"I told you I'd do it," I whispered, against his warmed forehead, holding on to him, never letting go, the sun's rays burning against our skins, so bright, so eager, so very delicious, gold gleaming, flickering, my world nothing more then Will's warm face and his soft, soft breathing, "I told you I would get us out. Look, Will. We're _alive._"

He didn't response.

Nothing.

He just breathed, soft and beautiful, and I just sat there, holding him with every thing I had.

_Alive._

Water laughed in sunrise's glow.

Wind giggled, warm and flirty.

Shadows pooled above cities, dark against the gold.

Fires burned warm.

Balder spoke.

"So, where do you reckon we are then?"

For a second, I ignored him, lips pressed to Will's forehead, listening to breath, watching intently as his chest rose up and down, up and down, so very alive, so very living once more, just like before…

And then, I pulled back, sighing softly, bones melting in the sun's glare. Gleams of light, golden, brilliant light slashed across my vision, turning my dark blonde into brilliant gold as the wind caught it, tugging on it, pulling relentlessly with its warm, sweet hands. The heat was starting to sink in, to really sink and suddenly, for the first time since I had been Hel, I really, _really _wanted to sleep.

Just sleep.

Here, in the rocking boat, in the beautiful light, with Will in my arms.

Just sleep.

And never wake up.

_Ever._

Instead, I ran a hand through my hair, the other still holding onto Will's warming cheek and turned back to Balder, boat rocking, nodding gently beneath us; he wasn't looking at me anymore, but beyond me, off the sides of our boat, staring down the river and its shadows of boats, jetties and messy, haphazard buildings. Golden curls, bright and radiant in the sunlight, whipped back, crashing against his bronze skin.

Will's breath was a golden song.

"What?"

The boat creaked as golden water slapped, laughing against wood.

Balder combed fingers through his curls.

"This place," he said simply enough, and then gestured out beyond the boat, waving his big hands, the golden arrows behind his back glittering and twinkling in the light as he moved, his accent rolling over the morning silence as a little smile tugged at his lips, "Do you know it?"

My blood raced hot.

I frowned.

_What?_

Without letting go of Will, I turned my head, back to the glorious golden river, the dark shadows of sails and boats, the creeping messy city on either side, smoke foul and brutal high up, ugly against the sunrise as pillars and roofs of bricks filled together, all chaotic and haphazard-

And then, shook my head.

"No...I don't know it. Do you?"

"You're asking a god who was buried for over 4000 years."

"And you're asking a girl who's not even from this world!" I snapped back, curls flying, birds squawking away in the golden distance, sun burning against the back of my neck,"How the hell am I supposed to know, idiot?"

His grin was once more maddening.

Will breathed.

"I don't know…you know, your world and this world is not supposed to be that different, me dame-"

"Only that we're, like 300 years faster than this-"

"I know. Time flux-"

"So I don't know where we are."

"Well, neither do I-"

"London."

It came as whisper, a lingering, dark, icy whisper in the gold trance of the world, in the heat and fires and the simple tune of Will's breath. It was just a murmur, a whisper of cold, a bloody stab of ice that for a moment, for just a moment, it was as if we were back, back in Hel, back in that icy anguish as the walls closed in and my breath cut short, the fires fleeing, the warmth withering, my heart screaming out in terror as I dug my fingers deeper into Will's skin, never, ever letting him go-

And then, Balder nodded to something beside me, at the head of the boat.

Something.

_Oh God._

I turned.

Standing at the head of the small rocking boat, tall and black and so very dark, was Charon, his black robe spilling down towards us, his hood still up, his face still hidden. Ripples of dark cloth flowed down his tall, ominous being, a gentle, heaving black, robes rustling in the soft golden breeze as they spilled down the wood and towards Will's side, like a flowing black river, dark as hell. His hood was large, shivering in the river's golden whisper, the touch of the bright light kissing against the black edges, liming his figure against the beautiful, golden sunrise; even in the burning light, he seemed untouched, a black, silent shadow standing before us, leading us on, a dark, dark abyss in the beautiful, brimming world. In his hands, the long, vertical oar dug into the water over and over again, slow and methodical, the golden river giggling each time the dark wood dipped into its depths, our little boat rocking forward, waves slapping, laughing with glee. Gold burned against black, fire against ice.

Light against darkness.

Life against death.

_Charon._

I shivered.

Will breathed.

Balder chuckled.

"Ah! London!" he beamed, his accent ringing true as he gazed up at the silent, horrid back of our rower, golden curls laughing, his smile suddenly oddly placed against the memory of that whisper, of that single, icy word in the golden blaze, my own tongue bitter as I held on to Will with my life, "Good chap there, Charon."

The shadow didn't reply.

_Oh God._

No one spoke for a bit.

For a moment, we just sat there, the whisper, the icy, dreadful whisper still hanging above us as Charon rowed us farther and farther into the golden river, the burning light melting against my skin, the boats, the birds and the crumbling city dark and beautiful and so very alive. Waves licked, warm wind giggled, and in that short silence, in that terrible, clawing silence, I held on to Will, holding him as close to me as possible.

Never letting go.

Ever.

Ever again.

_Never again._

Charon's robes rustled in the burning light.

Will's breath sung a haunting tune.

_Never again._

Balder broke the silence.

"London! Fancy that!"

It was enough to make me look at him again.

_Thank God._

"What?" I murmured, shaking off the icy whisper still prickling against the back of my neck, turning away from the rower, from the cold, from all the dread, my own thumb skimming over Will's burning cheek. Before me, Balder seemed unaffected as usual, untouched by the icy breath, his golden face, his golden curls and his golden smile beaming before me, bright in the sun's glare. His accent rolled over the warm lapping waves and somewhere behind me, far beyond Charon's soft paddling and gloomy silence, voices shouted, the sounds of fishermen and sailors ringing across the golden river. Birds squawked and splashed, noisy as ever.

I tried to push Charon out of my mind.

It was hard.

Incredibly hard.

_God._

Will stirred slightly.

Balder grinned.

"London, me dame, London!" his smile was golden, and the warm air began to envelop me again, ice melting away, wood rocking beneath me, my thumb playing against Will's cheekbone, sliding shyly as I gazed over at the beaming god, pushing Charon completely out of mind," Fantastic, beautiful, civilized, elegant, glorious, banana-filled-"

"You have no idea what London is, do you?"

"Not a clue."

"It's a city," I sighed softly, turning away from Balder's golden face to gaze over at the dark city again, at the black chaos against the golden sunrise, avoiding Charon's flowing dark back as I ran my fingers against Will's warm cheek, stroking his face, the air warm and soft again, my insides sinking once more into perfect bliss, "One of the greatest cities in the world, especially now, in the 18th century."

"Oh. How great?"

"Try capital of the biggest empire in the world right now."

"Ah, humans!" and his smile stretched, his blue eyes bright with the glory of the rising sun, his beautiful golden curls laughing as they danced in the warm wind, the boat rocking beneath us like a slow, beautiful lullaby, "Kingdoms, empires…you lot never fail to keep on growing. It's why the magical world hid from you lot. You're poison."

"But why London?" I frowned, pulling my gaze away from Balder, away from Will to throw a quick, guerrilla look at Charon over my shoulder, my eyes barely taking in his shadowy form against the bright sunlight, warmth fighting against the blast of cold that impulsively came from that one look, "Of all the places in the world? I mean, I haven't even been here before, in this damn universe or back home. Shouldn't he have brought us to where we died? Well…where Will and I died? The island? Why London?"

"Why not London?" Balder then reached forward two bronze fingers and playfully tugged at Sparrow's beads, his smile mischievous, devious, almost wicked, Will stirring slightly in my lap as a wave knocked a little higher up the swell, the voices of sailors ringing through the golden warm air, "Seems logical, doesn't it? Greatest city in the world…greatest empire…"

A scowl began to settle on my sun-kissed face.

I slapped his hand away.

"It doesn't make sense."

"So does the rest of world."

"But-"

"But what?" and his smile softened, at the edges, as he pulled and fingers and nursed the sore skin, his blue eyes so beautiful and so insane, "You're alive. You both are. Shouldn't you be thankful for that?

I didn't know what to say.

_Alive._

Not too far away, beyond Charon's silent black shadow, a small sailing boat was skimming over the waters towards us, in our direction, white sails sighing in perfect gold, tiny dark figures darting about the deck of the wooden dwarf, yelling to one another; we were nearing them now, the people, the boats, the jetties, the dark shadows of darting men now more human, more real, the voices clearer, louder, ringing in the warm air in splattering of English, French, and Spanish. Dark jetties became clearer and clearer, and as our tiny boat bobbed closer and closer back to civilization, back to life, I held Will close and warm, stroking his cheek, brushing his hair. His breath rang true and pure, and the world was warm and alive.

_Alive._

Not even Charon could dampen that joy.

_So very alive._

I cleared my throat.

"We need to find an inn or something," I looked away, back over the golden waves, away from Balder's blue eyes, gazing across to the bobbing dark ships and boats and jetties, at the sprawling city and the flood of black smoke, holding Will as close to as possible, "We need to rest. All of us…especially Will."

"Ah. A proper bed."

"And food."

"Hungry already?"

"Not really, no. Just…"

"Tired?"

"I want to die."

"Haven't we done that already?"

I couldn't help it.

I had to smile.

"Shut up, genius."

"Genius…" and his smile was wide, like a child's, so very lively adorable, "I like that word. I like it a lot. Genius. _Genius_-"

"It's sarcasm, you twat-"

"Sarcasm? Never heard of it."

"How can you not have heard of sarcasm?"

"Um, hello? 4000 years buried on an island in the middle of nowhere?"

"Poor excuse."

"Poor excuse? _Poor excuse?_ Have you any idea what its like to be buried for 4000 years, me dame? I'll bury you, and you could give it a try."

"Touch me and you're dead, pal."

"You can't kill a god, me dame-"

"Dude, I'm Joey Wolfe. I'll find a way."

"Yeah, just liked you said you would "find a way" last week, when we have to sneak past the Wicked Sisters-"

"Are you seriously still on that? How many times do I have to tell you, I didn't…."

And just like that, our voices trailed, and our conversation streamed on as our little boat paddled forth towards London.

**+THE END+**

**Ok, so I don't know about the ending…. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews guys! It's my holidays and so yeah, I'll be writing a lot. XD**

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews, and please tell me anything you want to tell me. If you feel that Joey has changed too much, please let me know. I'm trying to make a little different, as anyone would after what she had gone through but if you guys aren't getting it…. please let me know!**

**Also, I'm going to be a whore right now, and give you guys my tumblr account. I would give you the URL, but doesn't allow me too. So, to whoever wants to add me, please just type "talking-to-sirens tumblr" on Google. The first link, with the name Tanya there, is mine. **

**I know, I know…very whore-like. But I'm new to tumblr, and I really want to follow more people as well as to have more followers. If you read my fanfic and by some chance decided to follow me on tumblr, please leave a message on my tumblr ask box or my review page to let me know.**

**Okok. I'll stop whoring now.**

**Anyway, signing off and see you soon!**

**XOXO**


	8. Things Never Go According To Plan

**Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs.**

**Please give me a review and let me know what you think! Really love those reviews guys! Anyway, here we go!**

**Chapter 7: Things never go according to plan**

The moment we touched the shore, I knew something was wrong.

Just something.

Something_._

_Wrong._

I couldn't tell what it was.

I couldn't tell where it came from.

It just appeared, poking out of glowing skies, stabbing through the nape of my neck.

A sense of something misplaced.

A sense of something lost.

A sense of something wrong.

Just something.

Something.

_Wrong._

Balder didn't seem notice.

Instead, the moment our little boat hit against the cracked, algae-coated ridges of an empty, lonely jetty, Balder sprinted out of the rocking boat and unto the creaking planks, a blur of brilliant gold. It was a crumbling wooden quay, deserted and abandoned, quite far away from the other piers and rolling ships, rotting wood splintering along the edges, empty barrels knocked over their sides; it was a small little pier, with no life whatsoever, and the creaks that moaned beneath Balder's bare feet echoed away over the golden ways, like the bones of old groaning in despair. Ships rolled by, ignoring our little vessel, voices of Spanish, English, Dutch and French crashing about in the warm dawn wind, waves rippling away in their wake, surging against us in golden laps. Shadows and light played about the river, the massive, wide beautiful river.

The Thames River.

After all, what else could it be?

_Wrong._

Balder's voice grunted in the warm wind.

"Here we go."

With loud creaks moaning beneath his quick feet, the golden god reached down towards the boat again, towards us, and without a single hesitation, plucked Will off my lap; his arm swung smoothly, and before I knew it, Will's breathing, warm body was trailing away from me and into Balder's arms again, thrown over his wide shoulders like a rag doll. Dark, curly hair whipped in the wind as he stirred slightly upon the giant's shoulder, black coat flapping back against the dusky gold of Balder' skin, arms hanging lifelessly and helplessly. Boots dangled down, his skin glowing gold in the sunlight and even though I knew he was alive, I knew that he was _safe…_

Something was still wrong.

Just something.

Something.

_Wrong._

Balder caught my look.

"Stop it."

I pushed my whipping short hair out of my face.

"Stop what?"

"Stop treating him like he's a feather or something. He's not going to fly away, me dame."

A frown twitched against the edges of my lip.

"I'm not-"

"Then stop looking at him-"

"Would you just shut up and help me up?" I growled, and threw up a hand towards Balder's hulking form. He didn't answer; instead, his own lips quirked into a little golden smile and in the bright light of the beautiful sunrise, he reached down with one free hand, balancing Will on his shoulder, and helped me up.

With a grasp of his giant warm hand, I trudged out of the rocking, shaky little boat and up onto the wooden pier; it was a bit of leap, a wobbly, ungraceful leap, but with a little huff, and a pull on Balder's hand, I jumped up onto the jetty, wood groaning in protest beneath my feet. Algae slipped beneath, and flakes of rotten wood crumbled around my boots, rusty iron nails blinking sleepily up at me, like little silver stars. Sunlight leaped about the wood, barnacles and seaweed glossy and slimy in the glisten of rising sun.

Will's black leather jacket flapped away in the warm, delicious wind.

Balder's curls giggled, golden and precious in the radiance of the rising day.

Water lapped beneath, a song of soft, beautiful voices.

Sparrow's beads laughed.

_Wrong._

Balder cleared his throat.

"Come on then, me dame."

With that, he swung around, and began to walk up the pier, wood moaning and screaming beneath each step of his golden bare feet; upon his shoulder, Will hung there again, as he had before back at Hel, limp and quiet, fast, fast asleep, bobbing along to each painfully loud step, deaf and dead to the whole world. His skin was golden, burning bright in the sun's glare, and as the wind played with his dark hair, his face twitching slightly in the midst of sleep, his warm breath rustled the edges of Balder's long curls, breathing down against his neck.

Still breathing.

Still alive.

_Alive._

"Hurry up, dame!"

_And yet wrong._

Wood moaned beneath my feet.

_Wrong._

Without another word, I began to follow up the derelict pier, brushing by the abandoned crates and woozy barrels, watching my step on the crumbling planks as much as I was watching Will, still keeping an eye on him, still looking after him. The gleam of Balder's arrows and bow strapped upon his back contorted the world with shafts of bright light as I followed them, gazing at them, Will's dark hair whirled in the warm wind, dancing in the golden breeze-

_Charon._

The thought came so sudden, so quick, and yet so very simple that it startled me how, in that short time, I had completely forgotten it.

Forgotten him.

_Charon._

Without a word, I turned around, wincing against the golden skies, the bright beaming light, black robes whooshing as I gazed down towards our little boat, towards our mysterious, hellish rower, to perhaps, for the first time, see his very face-

"Don't look."

It was Balder's voice, and in the glare of rising sun, I turned back to him, away from the boat, from the dark rower before I could even glimpse at his face, short curls shivering against my warmed cheeks; Balder was there, turned back to me now, and in the warm rustling of the river's breeze, I could see that his blue eyes, his brilliant, wild blue eyes were now bright, hot and burning. There was no smile, no little wink, no mischievous smirk to tease at me again-

Just hot eyes.

Urgent eyes.

_Wrong._

"What?"

His voice was cold as steel.

"Don't look at him," he nodded once, those eyes strange and hot and slightly insane, his arm strapped along the back of Will's knees as he held him over his shoulder, the waves laughing, the wind giggling, the warm sunlight burning against the nape of my neck, his voice cold and firm like the bitter ice, "Don't look at Charon, Joey. Don't even try."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

I just stood there, staring at those wild eyes, frozen upon that forgotten jetty, sunlight burning through my skin as the thought, the very thought that Charon the rower was still standing there, in his black, trailing robe, staring at us, at me, right at me-

And I wanted to look.

For some reason, for some arcane, unbelievable reason…

I wanted to see his face.

Just once.

_Just once._

A tint of warmth splashed over Balder's voice again.

"Come on, then. Don't look at him."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Oh? So we're doing what _you _say now? Lord help us then."

A little smile, just a little one, and then, with his free arm, Balder waved me forward, before him, upwards towards the city.

"Come on."

With a soft sigh, I began to walk forward again, the urge to turn back, to get just one little peek at the strange rower, at Hel's boatman, gnawing right through me, biting down to my skull; I wanted to look, for some stupid reason, to look beneath that black, black hood and to see that face-

I mean, was Charon like a human?

Or, more likely, a daemon?

Maybe he wasn't even either.

Maybe he was something else.

Something two weeks in Hel wasn't enough to let me piece together in my imagination…

Perhaps something like the Hellhounds?

Or maybe, one of those Underworld pixies, those little winged monsters-

But no, maybe he was more like those fire monsters-

"I told you not to look."

"Who said I was looking?" I threw back at him, wood screaming beneath every step as I walked up the pier, Will's black coat flapping, water licking gold below, the urge to turn back, to just get a little peek burning right through my skin, my mind practically screaming at me to just turn back, "I'm not even looking-"

"You want to look."

"Doesn't mean I'm looking."

"Doesn't mean you won't-"

"Oh, shut up, Balder!" I whined, trudging up the last few steps towards him, Will's dark curls whipping in the wind behind the god's long mane of golden curls, my own black robe rippling away in the warm breeze as the wood screamed and cried like tortured souls, "I'm not looking. I'm not even _trying _to look- why can't I even look?"

The little smile on Balder's lips twitched a little.

The insanity, the burning white hotness stirred in his blue eyes.

Will slept silent, dead to the world.

_Wrong._

Balder sighed.

"Just don't."

Wood moaned beneath my steps.

"Why not?"

Golden curls laughed.

"Because to look at the face of Charon would…"

And then he trailed off, just like that.

Just like that.

_Wrong._

For a moment, he just stood there, staring right at me, his lips clamping together as his sentence unfinished in the air, the beautiful golden sunlight dancing about his startling cheekbones, his dusky skin, his hot, mad eyes. Will hung silently on his shoulder, still trapped in a dark sleep, and for a second, for just a second, the waking world hushed and Balder just stared.

Just stared.

_Wrong._

And then, he turned around, and began to walk up the pier again.

Silently.

Mutely.

Wood screaming at every step.

_Wrong._

Without another thought, another single thought, I turned half around, not fully, looking back over the Thames through the corner of my eye, my senses, my instincts suddenly screaming to full alert, to full attention at the slightest chance that Balder was right, that I shouldn't be looking at Charon at all…

There, at the very edge of my vision, at the foot of the pier, our little boat was rowing away, bobbing in the golden waters as it pushed off from the broken jetty, rocking back and forth, lost and out of placed. It was moving away from us, slowly, beautifully, a dark shadow skimming over the bright waters as it finally left us for good. At the head of the turned boat, rowing with the long vertical oar, Charon paddled forth, thick and slow, a tall, dark figure pushing forth into the sunlight. He was facing forward, away from us, and once more, all I could see of the fabled boatman of Hel was his long, dark back, his black robe rippling down like an endless cascade of the deepest night. Hands dipped the oar in the water over and over again, slow and rhythmic, a soft, sad tune.

I couldn't see his face.

_Wrong._

"Dame!"

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, and with a sinking feeling in my gut, I turned away from the fading shadow upon the river and back towards the pier.

As said before, the jetty was a small one, a derelict, deserted little ruin, rotting wood descending towards the waves, thick algae like a coat of paint; it was small, incredibly small and abandoned, only big enough for maybe three little vessels, with old, torn rope wrapped around two masts, black with edge, green with barnacles. Urchins covered the forgotten pier, little crabs the size of fingernails feasting on the little barnacles, scurrying about the creaking floor, beady black eyes staring furiously up at us. Dead fishes, leftovers from catches long time ago, scattered rotten and putrid among some knotted nets, seagulls the size of computers skimming over the planks, plucking their breakfast off the vile ground. Wood hung on all sides, rotten, black wood crumbling and whining at every step, as if it could all just give away at any moment.

At any moment at all.

At the end of the small pier, up the lane of breaking, cracking wood, there was a set of wooden stairs, wide and short, climbing upwards towards the shore, railings of rotten wood bordering either side; a small, dead, metal lamp swung empty and dark on one of the head of the railings, rocking in the warm wind, knocking metal against the rotting wood, loud, disturbing clangs. Above, the stair climbed in the clinging shadows of dawn, and soon enough, the derelict, old wood gave way to cobblestone stairs, proper stairs, a short flight of carved, identical rocky steps leading up to the shore. Unlike the wood, it was untouched by the river, only bits of algae among its ridges; it flowed smoothly upwards, climbing up the shore, black rock against the broken wood, until at its very end, gleaming in the sun's light, was a little wall of the same rock. It was a low wall, a sort of barrier, and it stretched on along the shore, from ends to ends, disappearing on either side in the midst of the sun's glare, like a wave breaker or a stone fence. It was nothing spectacular, just a long, low wall, and as we climbed up towards it, wood creaking and screaming, the golden sky above began to darken with the storm of smoke, wisp of black smog trailing over the piers and a little over the river, like a cloud storm just coming into view.

The smell of ash began to tint the world, the beautiful, golden warm world.

_Wrong._

In a matter of a minute, we had climbed up the wooden pier, up past the clanging lamp, up through the creaky, broken steps, skipping over the smooth rocky stair until at long last, we were at the low wall. There was an opening in the wall, the stairs connected with the low black breaker like the typical design of the era; it was gothic, somehow, and yet, we marched on, trudging up the slick black stairs and through the opening in the wall.

Will hung on, fast asleep like a babe.

Balder's curls giggled.

My insides burned.

_Wrong._

The world unfolded before us.

_Wrong._

Before us, beyond the pier and the low grey wall, stretching out before us as far as the sun's golden glare, was a street of houses, a dark, lonely, silent street; cobblestone road ran smooth in a straight line, downwards away from us, disappearing into the midst of the sun's furious glare, harsh black against the golden sun. Pebbles after pebbles marched in a straight line, orderly and firm, sleek black gleaming bright and old in the dawn's growing light; in the distance, the sun blanked out most of the end of the road, but it seemed to twist away, turning and twirling off, a short, little street with a junction of black cobblestone cutting across, dividing the street into half. On either side of this plain, simple rocky road marched pavements of cement, narrow grey strips striding along with the road, it's constant companions until the junction, and hence forth in the sun's golden glare. They were simple pavements, a simple road-

Only, they weren't so plain as I first saw them to be.

Not after a second blink.

_Wrong._

All the way, near our feet towards the end of the twisting corner, the black road and it's simple pavements were littered with dirt, trash and broken wood. Pieces of old furniture, of dismantled, twisted metal, and broken crates scattered about the long, narrow road, shreds of fabric torn over the ridges as ash and dirt coated the simple street. Broken glass and wood lay everywhere, all about the pavements, scattered onto the road, large chunks of broken bricks and smashed furniture lying slumped along the corners, like hulking, disturbing shadows. In the center, the road was mostly clear safe for a bit of shattered glass and splinters of wood, broken and jagged bricks lying about the ground, a dark brown against the gleaming black of the road. Glass bits gleamed like a thousand stars against the midnight road.

As if something had been torn down.

As if worlds had been destroyed.

_Wrong._

In the middle of the black road, amidst the rubble and forgotten chaos, standing tall and dark was a statue, erect upon a marble pedestal, gleaming in the sun's glare. It was bronze, obviously, a tint of amber and gold clashing together as the sunlight danced it's furious light upon the tall statue, metal burning like a dark star; the pedestal on which it stood upon was marble, but old marble, dark marble, forgotten marble, vines and ferns of thick green plants writhing about the square monument, crawling about the old edifice. Vines and branches of green strangled the marble fixture, covering the base almost entirely with crawling, twisting lush, spokes of little red flowers dotting the verdant structure, wild and untamed; leafy branches were crawling upon the statue too, up past it's mid-riff, past it's chest, writhing, green vines, twisting like snakes around the bronze's man ankles, his legs, his torso, and slowly about his neck. The wild was consuming it, devouring it, and though the bronze of the statue still burned through the verdant green, the lush was engulfing it, overwhelming the silent bronze man as he gazed out onto the golden river beyond, his cries strangled away by the growing wild. No plague was in sight, nor any other sign; it was just a dark, lonely statue of a simple man, the wild vines of nature itself slowly devouring it forever.

Forgotten forever.

_Wrong._

My heart screamed.

_So wrong._

On either side of the littered street, of all the rubble, of the lone, dark statue, houses marched up the road, square, uniform, ugly houses, brown as the earth itself. They were all the same, the same design, the same colour, tall flat rectangular faces of brown brick marching side by side; they were all joined together, as were the typical fashion of that time, a continuous plain stream of ugly bricks, cut only by the road's junction a few houses down. They were tall, all of them, about three stories high, long, narrow things, their metal-slate roofs gleaming in the sun's golden light as they slammed up into the smoky sky, identical, mirror images staring at one another across the street; above, black chimneys poked up into the smoky sky, tall and utilitarian, puffs of black, black smoke spilling out of some of those long mouths, adding on to the growing madness of black smoke in the skies. Their faces were identical, all brick-brown, all dull as hell, windows of whitewash climbing every house as doors of dark marched in symmetry, everything uniform and plain-

Only, like the road, it wasn't at all.

It wasn't all the same.

It wasn't all plain.

It wasn't all right.

_Wrong._

A gasp chortled my throat.

_So wrong._

Most of the houses were ruined, damaged, destroyed, torn away or wrecked, so much devastation; doors were ripped off hinges, windows smashed and dark, chunks of bricks pulled out of the sides and scattered about the floor, broken and ruined. Metal roofs were caved in, empty, gaping, splintered holes atop the ugly ruins, chimneys of black crumbled and torn, flailing over the sides. Torn curtains flapped wildly out of black windows, broken windows, their colours dark and dull against the black and browns and gold, jagged broken glass stabbing out of listless windowsills like teeth, bloody and raw. Lamps hung shattered and ruined upon the pavements, porch lamps broken, porch steps crumbled and jagged and dusted with cement and brick; furniture, broken, trashed furniture spilled out of black doorways and empty windows, shambles of chairs and tables and beds, nothing more then debris, choking out of those horrible houses, destroyed into millions of pieces. Some of the houses had been obviously burnt, their faces black with flames, their bricks crumbled to ashes, parts of their scorched faces nothing more then shambles on the ground, their bricks dark and torn down, buildings now wreckages of burnt black, empty and cold. Windows smoked, the smell of ash tinging the air, and other houses were just ruined, collapsed, devastated, half of their faces crumbled to the ground, shambles of brick and mortar and furniture hanging off the gaping sides, like blood spewing from open wounds. Dust shifted in the warm wind, ash and splinters and glittering broken glass, curtains wailing like tormented, ruined souls. Black, empty windows watched, dark, listless eyes.

The world was burnt.

The world was ruined.

The world was destroyed.

_Oh God._

I couldn't speak.

I couldn't even breathe.

_Destroyed._

A sob wrecked my lungs.

Silence screamed.

_Wrong._

Balder spoke.

"Well, not a pretty town, this London."

His voice was so odd, so very merry and chirpy and Balder in the cold, cold silence of the horrible devastation before us; behind, the rising sun's light was no longer warm, no longer sweet, no longer delicious and comforting and so very beautiful-

Because all of a sudden, it felt like Hell again.

Just like Hell.

_Wrong._

"Something's wrong."

It was a whisper, a soft, shivering whisper, but in the icy silence, in the dreadful silence and the hushed destruction, Balder heard me.

Loud and clear.

"Wrong?" He threw me a look, a half-incredulous look, his golden hair whipping, Will silent upon his shoulder, his blue eyes flaring bright as the sun kissed about his cheeks, the desolate street, the ruined street silent and dark behind him, "Of course, something's _wrong. _Look around you, me dame. Someone forgot to decorate the place."

I tore my eyes away from the horrible scene long enough to glare right at him.

"That's not funny."

"Of course it's funny."

"That's not even _remotely _funny-"

"You are such a downer, me dame-"

"Balder, don't you get it?" I snarled a little, wrapping my arms around my body as a sinking feeling tugged at my tugs, a cold hand wrapping around my screaming heart as I stared out at the silent, lonely street, broken glass glittering like stars, forgotten ash drafting over the rubble, kicked up by the not-so-warm wind, "this isn't London. It _can't _be-"

He quirked an eyebrow, a single, golden eyebrow.

"You sure about that?"

Something tugged viciously at my heart.

My guts tightened.

_Wrong._

I gulped.

"No," I shook my head, a quiver prickling in my voice as the curtains flapped high above, flags of a forgotten disaster, the black smokes of the city filling the air with the nauseating stench of ash, "I mean…it can't be-"

"I don't know what you're talking about, me-"

"Balder, look around you! This place-"

"Needs some flowers."

"Balder-"

"And bananas."

"Charon must have gotten it wrong," I said softly now, gazing past Balder and Will, scanning the desolate silence of the ruined street, my gut tight, my heart plunging, a terrible sickness gripping my insides as the dark statue loomed ahead, watching us silently, "We can't be in London. 1700s…. nothing like _this _is supposed to happen-"

"Alright then, me dame," he grunted, adjusting Will's weight on his shoulder, blue eyes laughing, "Where are we then?"

Something burned behind my eyes.

Silence screamed.

"I don't know."

"Say that again."

"I don't know, alright."

"One more time."

"I. Don't. Know-"

"Just another time-"

"I DON'T KNOW!" And my yell echoed away over the silent, wrecked street, the black windows staring, the empty doorways gaping, the wailing curtains and the drifting ash dancing in the warm wind as my words bounced off the crumbled buildings and forgotten debris, the only voice in the silent, dead world, "I don't know, moron. I don't. This can't be London, alright? This is supposed to be the greatest city in the world right now-"

"And maybe there was a fire on the street," he nodded mockingly, bobbing his head up and down as if I were a child, and he an adult pacifying me, "You know, someone forgot to blow out the light? Ever thought about that-"

"Doesn't look like fire, Balder."

"Those buildings are scorched!"

"But the others aren't."

"Alright," he sighed, and took two long steps away from me, towards the silent, graveyard of houses, in line with the dark statue, looking out towards the crumbling street as he carried Will in his arms like a silly rag doll, the warm wind doing nothing as the destruction lay dark and haunting, a horrible memory," What are you suggesting then, me dame?"

I closed my eyes.

I breathed.

_Wrong._

"Nothing."

He didn't even bother to look back me.

"Exactly."

My heart screamed.

"Balder-"

"What I'm betting, me dame, is there was a fire," he said simply enough, with a wink of blue back at me, holding Will tight on his shoulder, "There was a fire on this road, and the rest of this houses…as you call them…. went aflame. Everything burned down, people died…. same old story-"

"I don't k-"

"And the moment we walk out this street, and to the rest of the city, everything will be normal again-"

"Something is wrong, Balder."

He looked back at me.

Silence.

And then, with a quirky smile, he winked.

"Maybe."

A trembled crept onto my lips.

The curtains screamed.

"Maybe?"

His blue eyes flared.

"My sister once said never to ignore a woman's instinct-"

"Your sister was smart."

"Yes, but you don't really count as a woman, do you me dame?"

A groan throttled my throat and I closed my eyes in frustration, a sudden cold biting in my fingers, a tremble racing through my heart. My tongue felt raw.

_Wrong._

I cleared my throat.

"Listen, asshole, I'm not saying this again-"

"So, what do you want to do then? Go back to Hell?"

"What? No!" I frowned, crossing my arms tighter as I glared at the grinning god, Will's pretty face buried in the thick of his curls, his black coat flapping away, back in the desolate scene, the statue of ivy and vines watching us from a far, "Will-"

"Exactly. Will."

"I know-"

"So, it doesn't matter if you _feel _that something is wrong-"

"Because we have to get Will somewhere safe," I finished off, and a knot formed thick in my gut, a horrible black knot, gnawing through my skin-

Because he was right.

Balder was right.

Balder was always right.

Will.

I had to look after Will.

I had to get him to a bed.

To get a doctor, maybe.

Anything.

Everything.

I had to protect Will.

_Even if something was wrong._

_So terribly wrong._

"Fine," I nodded my head, suppressing the trembles in my voice, my insides burning raw, my heart screaming, the silence of the destroyed street like a presence watching out of the darkness, the statue staring right at me, "You're right…. fine. We'll go-"

"Good-"

"But we watch where we go, got it? We'll find an inn, or something…but we'll watch our steps. Something…I don't think a fire did this, Balder."

For a second, he just stared at me.

Just stared at me.

_Wrong._

Then, in the soft silence of the destroyed world, he whispered.

"So do I."

_Oh God._

He walked away.

_Wrong._

For a moment, I just stood there, watching as he trailed away, down the debris-covered, shadowy street, ignoring the torn, wrecked buildings on either side as he carried my sleeping Will, down towards the sun's glare. Golden curls laughed, his bronze biceps rolling in the golden light, Will's dark hair whipping back and forth and as he walked silently down the deserted street, stepping over and ignoring all the ruins and devastation, he whistled a soft, happy tune, like the sound of birds in the morning's light. Broken glass glittered like jewels, and the lonely curtains flapped like blood-drenched flags of horrid war, whipping in the smoky sky, dancing to the chirpy tune. A broken door, hanging on its hinges, swung in the warm wind, creaking a horrid cry, a terrible beat to the haunting song. Sunlight burned against my icy skin.

My insides screamed.

_Wrong._

I followed him.

All around, the debris, the rubble, the ruins lay silent and cold, crumbling houses staring out at me, calling out to me, dark windows watching as I passed them, empty doorways inviting me in; as I followed, I began to step over the wreckage, jumping over shattered wood, and crunching bits of glass beneath my boots. Scraps of furniture and lamps and books scraped against my body as I manoeuvred through the ruins, gazing over the forgotten, wrecked things, objects that once were real, that once belonged to someone. Ash coated everything, the ashes of burned wood and paper and cloth, burned black bricks scattered all about the mess, as if the buildings had all just been crushed up in a hand, its remains spilling out from the giant's palms and falling ruined and destroyed to the asphalt ground. Glass cracked beneath metal boots, wood scraping against the cobblestone as I pushed some aside with my feet, following in Balder's footsteps as he whistled onwards, sounding like a damn bird, my eyes darting back and forth, keeping watch of those windows, those empty, dark doorways…

And it was all still wrong.

Still so terribly wrong.

_Wrong._

Nearer now, the statue loomed even closer, its dark bronze winking in the sun's golden glare, the vines and branches of lush green tight and strangling around its perfect form. It was even wilder up-close, weeds and flowers and budding gems, vines of the thickest green wrapping around the bronze man's throat, writhing about it's entire body, a poor, old statue devoured away by the wilds of nature herself. Little red flowers bloomed at his feet, and vines trapped his wrists to the pedestal, like chains of a dire man, thorns and branches crawling up his chest, strangling his neck-

And his head, his almost consumed, his slightly free, his dark, handsome bronze head was turned at me.

Staring at me.

Right at me.

At me.

_Wait._

Wasn't the statue looking over the river?

I mean, I had moved; I was now in front of one of those houses, a burned, ruined house, deep in the sea of debris and ruin, completely out of angle from the golden river beyond-

And yet the statue's head was now turned in my direction, exactly at my angle.

Looking right at me.

_Oh God._

My mind froze.

_Oh God._

I yelled.

"I think the statue's looking at me!"

Balder's whistle cut off mid-note, followed by a deep, rumbling sigh, a golden sigh echoing over the silence of the forgotten street, rustling in the wind.

Bronze eyes stared right at me.

A shiver rippled down my spine.

"Would you stop being so paranoid, me dame?"

My heart screamed.

"I. Am. Serious!"

"As am I. Now, me dame, if you don't shut up in the next few seconds, I'm coming back there and-"

All of a sudden, the ground rumbled.

_What?_

Beneath me, the earth began to purr, a dark, long deep purr, a tingling echo, a strangled thunder, the very earth beneath my boots trembling like a growing swell; vibrations, shuddering, quavering vibrations shook the earth, running through my boots, through my very bones, a dark deep drum booming a war cry in the darkest recesses beneath the earth. It was like a tremor, a low, unnerving tremor, the debris of glass and wood and broken metal shivering upon the earth as the ground wobbled in the slightest dance, ash quavering upon the black road. On either side of the road, the ruined wrecks of houses began to shiver as well, a horrible sight of leaning, crumbling buildings swaying in the deep tremor, my very heart trembling as the deep growl echoed throughout the world, like the waking roar of some terrible beast, some hellion, buried deep, deep beneath the earth-

And then, it stopped.

It stopped.

Completely.

Just like that.

Like it hadn't even happened at all.

_Oh God._

For a second, I froze, staring down at the ground, waiting for it to shake again, to tremor all over again, to make any sign of life…

But there was nothing.

Nothing at all.

Not even a squeak.

_A tremor?_

I looked over at Balder.

He was standing where he had been, a little ahead of me, deep in the rubble and debris, but now, he was turned back towards me, his golden curls laughing in the warm wind, his bronze skin gold and lovely in the sun's glare. Will was still in his arms, his black coat flapping like the curtains above, his dark hair wailing in the summer breeze. Dusky arms held him safe, untouched by the sudden trembling of the earth, protected by the tall golden god-

Who now stared at me with wild, panicked eyes.

Terrified eyes.

_Terrified._

"Balder?"

And then, the world exploded.

I screamed.

_Will._

Everything seemed to move once.

Everything.

The sky, the earth, all senses and all life….

Everything went tumbling, everything went heaving, the black cobblestone road writhing and lurching, rising up before me as the ground beneath it pitched up towards the ashen heavens, my body collapsing helplessly as the world spun out of control, my heart screaming in utter panic-

And then, the earth exploded, flying upwards, tearing towards the dawn skies, ripping the world apart. Everything was chaos, pure, horrid chaos, earth and rock shooting up towards the skies as the ground ripped open, smoke and ash bellowing up in a wondrous rage, screams filling the world. Debris flew up, the ground beneath my very feet exploding up towards the skies, as if the centre of the earth had blown up, had burst forth, had boomed, the very ground of the earth tearing away from some terrible monster lurching towards the surface. Towers of screaming rock shot up towards the morning skies, everything bursting, everything blowing up, the entire world screaming with insanity as my body fell in the chaos, the earth breaking, tearing, erupting into a wild, horrible madness. Broken glass shot up towards the skies, exploding with the earth, smoke and ash and wood and metal and earth destroying the skies as everything, _everything _erupted into absolute hell, my screams tearing out in utter horror as the world fell into chaos-

Something shot of our ground.

Something terrible.

Something so very terrible.

_Will._

Ripping out of the exploding ground, breaking through the madness and the insanity, the pure uproar of hell, were vines, giant vines, thick, black vines, tall, dark fingers, monster branches of the earth itself writhing up towards the skies. Shadows of thick vine monsters, giant black shapes of terrible snakes broke out, surging with the erupting earth, rocks and ash spilling forth, cruel, horrifying shadows; they were massive, big, colossal monstrous vines, ogres of the deepest black ripping out the erupting earth like snakes rearing their heads, ugly, horrible things, demons of Hell themselves. Thick, dark limbs, headless and misshapen, soared over the metal roofs, ash and dirt crumbling from their massive bodies as they tore up into the skies, whipping back in the warm wind. Sunlight, beautiful, peaceful sunlight crested upon them, kissing them, but the giant vines swayed with such horror, such terrible gait, their dark shadows towering above the ruined earth, writhing with such horrid life; they knocked back, moving in the ashen sky, in the bellowing smoke and raining earth, the largest shadows of the rocking world, tearing through the skies like a dozen blades, rippling, trembling, groaning monsters. Earth spilled away from them, their ends pointed and raw, their bodies thick around as ships, their shadows black and cold as they tore from the earth and up into the wretched skies, silent and cruel as death itself. Life rippled in them, as groans echoed away from their desolate bodies, their thick heads swaying in the warm wind as they curled and unfurled above the screaming earth, giant, terrible, awful monsters.

Giant vines.

Monster vines.

Monster vines ripping out of the earth.

_Oh God._

I screamed.

It was hopeless scream, a lost cry, the sounds of the cracking earth and screaming rock muzzling away my desperate yell as the dark, cruel shadows twisted away in the raining sky, groaning and writhing, giant beasts, coiling away against the blazing sunrise; my lung strangled, and my heart screamed, but no one could hear me, no one could hear my horror, my pure, wild terror as the massive beast lurched and heaved towards the sky before me, tearing through the world, destroying everything. Blood burned as the giant dark shadows danced in the skies, waking to the terrible, terrible world-

And then, in the chaos of hell, in the utter madness, the giant vines ripping from the earth, tearing from the rock, swaying giants in the frightful world, froze still.

Absolutely still.

_Will._

And then, with a loud groan, like the felling of a giant tree, the vines shot down, dark and horrible, and crashed against one of the ruined houses of the wrecked street.

_Oh God._

It happened so quickly, so very terribly, that for a moment, my scream went silent, and my breath went cold, my heart freezing within my chest as I watched the monster before me destroy the world…

Destroy it all.

_Oh God._

Groaning, black vines, thick and cruel, wrapped around that wrecked house, that crumbling house, strangling bricks with its icy black limbs, vines of snakes wrapping around the desolate building, like a serpent around its prey. Vines writhed, coiling and coiling and twisting and twisting, stabbing through dark windows, pouring through the empty doorway, twisting and slithering like snakes furious and raging, moving dark shadows writhing so quickly that my heart could barely beat, my mind could barely think, my lungs could barely breathe-

The world froze-

And then, the house crumbled.

_Oh God._

The vines strangled, the monstrous, hideous vines, and the ruined brick house of old London collapsed to the ground in a heap of bricks and wood, crumbling inwards, throttled to dust; smoke bellowed up into the air, the wild, chaotic air, as the house fell apart in the grasp of the monster vines, crushed and destroyed, reduced to ash. The earth shook, and the awful rumble of the collapsing house tore above the rattling earth, my heart, my breath frozen at the sight of the crushed house, the devoured home…

And I couldn't think.

I couldn't even breathe.

_Will._

I was on my back now, and the earth still lurched beneath me, the dust of the crumbled building pluming up into the horrid skies as the road tilted and pitched and rolled with agony, earth still exploding, rocks still flying, my hands clawing against the erupting earth as I stared up at the writhing monsters. Tears burned in my eyes and I could no longer scream, terror, pure, dreadful terror cutting through my throat, silencing me forever as the black vines stabbed up into the smoky sky, glass and ash and dirt raining down, falling to the twisting earth. My hands pushed me back, back and back and back; but I couldn't think, I couldn't understand, Will's face flashing before my eyes as the house crumbled away in the grasp of the monster vines-

And then, something hit my back.

Something cold.

_Oh God._

With a yelp, I tore my eyes away from the collapsed house, from the coiling enormous vines, and directly upwards, tilting my head back against the erupting, pitching earth-

And into the eyes of the bronze, vine-covered statue.

His wide, terrified eyes.

His screaming eyes.

His alive eyes.

_Alive._

His lips tore open in mortal agony.

_Alive._

"Run!"

I ran.

The whole world was ash, smoke, dirt and the earth pitched and rolled, the shadows of the vines rolling over the madness as the ground erupted at corners and turns, debris flying in the air, chaos screaming into the world; everything pushed against me, everything clawing me back, back towards the monster, back towards it's horrid, horrid grip, sounds of thunder and roars echoing away as more vines erupted from the ground, smoke shooting, madness laughing, houses crumbling away, their ashes rolling over me. More vines were exploding from the erupting earth, groans of old rumbling through the air as the ground pitched and rolled, insanity burning, raging across the skies as the world spun on it's tethers, complete and utter chaos. I couldn't see where I was going; there was too much smoke, too much falling debris, earth and sand and glass and wood raining all about me, burning my eyes, the dust of bricks choking my throat as I pushed the madness, lungs wrecked with sobs as the world erupted-

But I had to keep on running.

I had to find Will.

I had to find Balder.

I had to do get out-

A hand shot out the madness, a dark, dusky hand-

I screamed-

And then Balder grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, lurching through the smoky storm, racing away from the monstrous vines.

_Will._

He was a golden blaze in the mad world, a giant, warm bright light, leading me through, saving me, and in his arms, Will still hung, dark hair wild in the utter chaos; he wasn't asleep anymore, for I could see his eyes, his dark, horrified eyes peeking over Balder's shoulder, staring right at me, a limp, weak hand reaching out for me-

But there was too much madness.

Too much insanity.

Too much terror.

_Will._

A vine crashed against the nearest building, destroying it in one swipe.

Balder screamed.

"Come on!"

There was no where to go, no where to possibly go, debris and dust falling to the earth, falling down upon us, wood crashing against our backs, ash burning in our eyes, the monster devouring and destroying behind us as the earth tilted and staggered, heaving and tottering, madness ensuing. Balder's grip was fiery, pulling me, dragging me, my feet skidding the staggering earth, wading through the erupting ground, the torn road, smoke strangling my lungs; we were running nowhere, running through the pandemonium, the vile vines whipping and groaning behind us, houses crumbling with roars, my heart screaming as I stared away into Will's horrified eyes-

And then, Balder swerved off to the left, pulling me harshly through the raining turmoil.

Will's eyes screamed.

_Will._

"Hurry up, dame!"

With a harsh pull, Balder, Will and I dove into one of the empty doorways, one of the desolate houses at the end of the street, near the edge of the Thames; I didn't had time to think, to react, to argue against Balder's decision to dive into one of the houses, to fight against the fuming adrenaline-

Because the madness was still happening.

The world was still being destroyed.

_Will._

Darkness enveloped.

It was a cold darkness, a bitter, icy, cruel darkness, and as we stumbled into the house, the cold hallway stretched forward in pitch darkness, its ceiling rattling and trembling with the might of the erupting earth. Glass was littered all about it's marble floor, splinters scattered like petals, and in the icy gloom, everything was still trembling with the quivers of the ground beneath, broken lamps clanging an odd tune in the silent, dead house.

A child's toy sat at the foot of the steps, a frozen smile in the horrid world.

_Oh God._

Groans and roars screamed in the lurching madness behind.

Smoke billowed and plumed with each crumbling roar.

Darkness laughed.

_Oh God._

I snatched my arm away.

"We can't be in here!" I was screaming, the marble ground beneath cracking and lurching, my knees struggling to keep a balance, the darkness hanging all around as I glared up at my companions, terror shrieking in my voice; before me, Balder was pacing up and down the dark, lurching hallway, the smoky light spilling through the doorway, trembling against his large form. Somehow, Will was now slumped down on the stairs, gasping for breath, pale and terrified, the child's doll leaning against his leg as he rested upon the barrister and stared out at us, confusion screaming in his eyes. Dark brown hair danced against his breath, grey with ash and dirt.

Balder paced like a maniac.

Groans and rumbles echoed through the rocking world.

A crack splintered across the wall before us.

_Oh God._

I rushed to Will.

He didn't see me, not really, and I bent down and cupped his chin, looking at his dirtied face, his terrified beautiful eyes, his chest heaving up and down as he stared out the smoky doorway, his lips raw, split at the end. My own hand was dirty with ash and soil against his cheek, and he felt warm against my palm, his dark hair shivering, his black coat shuddering with the surging quakes, his beautiful dark eyes lost in some world of terror and confusion. His dark eyes darted from the door to me, frantic and mad, and my heart sobbed at the sight of him, the poor sight of my Will-

Because he was supposed to be safe.

He was supposed to be well again.

Not here.

Not scared.

Not confused.

_Will._

His voice whispered in the shaking dark.

"Joey."

The darkness rumbled.

I bit back a sob.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, leaning against him, pressing my nose against his as I stared down into those wild, frightened beautiful eyes,the world spinning and lurching, the madness laughing, salty tears wetting my lips as he breathed against my skin, hot and beautiful and alive, short and gaspy, "Will, I'm so sorry-"

"Are…Are you alright?" he cut me off, and with a weak struggle, he reached up one pale hand and grasped my own hand at his chin, his long fingers wrapping around my weathered hand, his terrified eyes flickering shut as he pulled in slower, thicker breaths, breathing out against my lips, his chest against mine. His lips were quivering, and in the darkness, in the horrid, pitching gloom, he leaned in closer to me, his grip weak but still alive, his breath short but still warm. Dark hair kissed against my cheek.

Roars filled the world.

Blood burned.

_Will._

I licked my lips.

"Define alright."

His dark brown eyes fluttered open, beautiful, beautiful dark.

"Not dead."

A chuckle.

"Not bad then."

A little smile.

"Good."

And there, in the lurching darkness, the impeding doom, the mad, mad, dying world, we just sat and stared into each other's eyes, forgetting the chaos, the madness, the horrible roars.

Forgetting the world.

_Will._

Balder's voice fell like a gunshot.

"Oi! Lovebirds! A little focus would be nice!"

With a growl, I turned away from Will, and with some terrible effort, I pulled out of his grip and stalked towards the golden god, the floor pitching beneath us, growls vibrating through the world; Will let go of me limply, and his touch fell away, his warmth fading away as I refocused, striding over the lurching earth, skidding over the rubble and ash. Roars of crumbling buildings moaned outside, as dark shadows whipped back and forth, the smoky light, the grey faint light of the horrid scene spilling through the doorway and playing across Will's beaten face. Dark eyes stared out at me, lost and confused.

My insides staggered.

My heart burned.

_Will._

The house groaned.

My voice felt like sawdust.

"We're trapped, you idiot!" I screamed, as the marble ground cracked beneath us, the ceiling swaying above, sounds of furniture and glass crashing on the floor above as the house shook with the agony of the destruction outside, smoke spilling, shoving down our throats, Balder's golden curls screaming with terror, "Why the fuck did you bring us in here-"

"I'm sorry, but do you want to stay out there?" he was screaming back too, and in the madness, he pushed his face against mine, his blue eyes wild and panicked, slightly insane, Will silent behind me as the house rocked and lurched, adrenaline screaming in my veins, terror strangling at my heart, "Because you are welcome to go outside by all means, me dame-"

"We are trapped-"

"I KNOW-"

"Then get us the hell out of here!"

"I'm trying, Joey! Now, shut up-"

The ceiling crashed down.

_Will._

The roof fell through, the very skies above our heads, and with a scream, I crashed down, tumbling to the ground, rock and ash smashing down upon me, the sky slamming me to the earth; pain exploded, and my vision cut off, smoke engulfing me, the ash devouring me, the world pressing down upon me and my scream stifled in the dust. Pain screamed against the back of my head, a thunderous, flashing pain, a raw throb, and I tried to open my eyes, to overcome it, to ignore it, to reduce it to nothing; my limbs screamed, and my back lurched, fingers clawing through the darkness as the dust chortled my neck, everything blanking out, everything darkening to night-

Somewhere, in the madness, I heard Will scream in my name.

Pain writhed through my blood.

"Will!"

Smoke laughed.

_Will._

For a moment, all I could feel was pain, horrible, lurching pain, twisting, cracking pain, my eyes slowly tearing awake as dust bit into them, ash shoving my throat, the dark world clearing away into the hazy blur of glass and wood, of rubble and debris, of wreck and ruin, of utter destruction, my legs trapped and helpless, my fingers clawing helplessly-

And then, something grabbed my ankle.

_Oh God._

A scream ripped from my lips.

_Will._

Something pulled me.

I couldn't understand at first, couldn't possible give it a thought, my mind jolted with pain, my tongue dry with ash, horrible, creeping pain screaming throughout my body as the world whirled past me, a blur of grey and black, the hand around my ankle strong and firm as it pulled me through the mind-numbing chaos-

And then, I was flying, up in the air, my aching body ripping away from the earth as I was lifted up, ankle first, my hands stabbing down towards the rubble, the lurching ground, grasping at the smoke. My scream echoed, and my heart yelled with terror as the world flew away from me, the smoky skies devouring me, the ground falling, plummeting away; my body was helpless, in the aching pain, I tried to kick free, to lash away, throwing back my body, twisting my arms, pushing back with the legs, fighting with all the pain I had. The grip never let me go, and the world just rushed all around, my blood roaring, my mind screaming as I flew up towards the sky, shooting upside down, my scream tearing through the world…

The world froze.

_Oh God._

All around me, the world stopped moving, and there I hung, suspended in mid-air, hanging up-side down, staring down at the ruined world; my hair fell down in a tangled mess, and the black robe fell around my body, my arms hanging down, lifeless and bloody. Below, the street laid ruined and destroyed, the houses crumbled, the road shattered, wood and ash and bricks scattered in an endless lane. Everything hung upside down, the ground staring up at me with it's ruined, destroyed cry, the entire street laid to utter ruins, houses and road reduced to nothing more then ash; a single house still stood, half ruined, half crumbled, staggering under it's own weight, it's slanted metal roof gleaming in the sunlight as I hung slightly above it, a tall, horrible, lonely tower in a sea of desolation. Everywhere, madness ensued, and my mind screamed with utter pain and fear…

And then a groan moaned throughout the world, a deep, low, agonising rumble.

_Oh God._

I looked down.

Below me, spewing out of the earth, reaching out of the grounds, tearing out of the earth itself were the vine monsters, the giant branches, writhing like snakes, dancing in the warm wind. There were so many of them, so many dark, leeching vines, giant monstrous vines, tearing up into the sky, coiling all about me, writhing into the smoky heavens. They were all rippling, all dancing, all so horrible and dark and powerful, groaning with the rumbles of the earth, ash and dirt streaming away, stabbing up into the dusty skies, laughing up into the world; it was a vine that was holding me, a thick, dark vine, wrapped around my ankle, harsh wood digging into my skin, writhing as it held me strong, hanging me upside down. Dark shadows whipped in the world, screaming to the skies. Monstrous creepers danced all around, twirling in the smoky ruins.

Vines laughed to the world.

Smoke twirled in the wind.

Shadows danced.

I groaned.

"Fuck."

**+The End+**

**That's it. Ok. Hope this was good!**

**Please give me a review, favourite this fic, follow me….yup! Thanks! I read all your reviews, and try to answer the questions if you ask them!**

**Anyway, until next time!**

**XOXO**


	9. Last Author's Note

Ok, guys. Here's how it goes.

I'm stopping this fanfic. I'm really sorry, but I don't think I can write this fic anymore.

I have been writing "The Painting In The Attic" for three years now. It started off as a care-less little fun thing, just to try publishing some of my work. I never thought I would get any reviews, or that I would be investing so much in this fic.

So, now I've decided to stop.

It's time to write my own work, and to move on.

I'm very sorry. To all my readers and to my reviewers, thanks you so much for all your comments and advice over the past 3 years. Your advice has really helped me with my writing. Because of you lot, I actually began believing in myself as a writer.

If I ever write a book (and by my ten-year plan, I should), I would dedicate to you lot, for helping me and believing in me.

I'm sorry to leave this story, and the truth is, I will miss Joey. I will miss Balder, and Jared, and Scarlett. I will even miss Circe. Especially Circe. And though Jack and Will and all the others were never my characters, I will miss writing for them too.

I will miss all of this.

Once again, sorry, and thank you for all your kind words.

Forever yours,

Tanya

P.S. I had actually planned out the story a bit. If you want to know just a sketch of what could have happened to Joey and lot, please let me know. Thanks!


	10. Story Plan Part 1

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews, guys!**

**Anyway, here's the sketch of how the story could have gone, if I hadn't ended it.**

The last time we left Joey, she was hanging from a monstrous vine over the blackened ruins.

1) While she was hanging high above the ruined rooftops, she saw all of London for what it truly was; a sprawl of a city covered with trees and vines, like a world consumed by the forest. It wasn't the London that she expected, nothing like she had ever seen in the history books.

2) I won't go into detail, but I will only say that Joey did escape the vines, with help from Will and Balder. She told them what she saw.

3) Later on, Will, Balder and Joey travelled through the city, exploring this horrible new London. Everything was in shambles, in ruins, with vines and trees and plants crawling over the flagstones, up along the brick walls. The people were shadows, frightened, cold people, living among the ruins, hiding and running. There were soldiers marching about this macabre city, British soldiers with their guns and swords, catching people, persecuting innocent lives. Black-clocked figures lead them about, silent as night itself. It was a mad city, ruled by blood and fear. _Joey couldn't understand what had happened into those short two weeks she had been away._

4) Soon enough, they met a young African girl called Mary (A name given to her by her master). She rescued the confused three from a platoon of marching soldiers, who had chased them through the thorny city after Balder had stolen a banana from the market. Stealing, after all, was punishable by death in this new London.

5) Mary brought them to her master, an old chemist, Professor Fournier. It was he who finally told the three what had happened:

First of all, it had not been two weeks since Joey and Balder had gone to the underworld but 21 years. _21 _years. Time, as Balder quickly explained, might have passed differently between the two worlds. Two weeks down in the underworld for Balder, Joey and Will, had been 21 years up here in the world of the living. Time had moved much slower for the three of them. Joey is shocked, and beyond furious. Will is confused beyond belief. How had they lived only two weeks while the rest of the world had lived over 21 years?

During those 21 years- or two weeks in the underworld-, the gods had awoken. They had stirred after Balder's return and Rygor's death, the gods emerged out of their hiding and began to fight, blaming each other for releasing Balder. They began to go to war against each other, and soon, a great war erupted over the world. Gods were no longer myths as Balder's siblings gathered arms and fought each other, unleashing their own armies all over the world. Calypso rose from her watery bed and stormed across the seas, her sirens and mermaids and watery spirits fighting against Ra's eagle-headed warriors. Spirits of the goddess of air, Neuth, tore against the dark shadows of the god of war, Seth. Brother and sister waged war against each other.

It was Ragnarok, the end of the world, the prophesy come true.

_( If you guys don't remember, the prophesy was that Balder's return to life would bring about the end of the world)._

It was a mess, and in the end, the humans were involved too. Countries took sides with the different gods, pledging allegiance, protecting themselves from the madness of this great war. England, for example, was pledged to Gaia, goddess of the earth. It was why London, and the rest of England, was covered with vines and giant trees; the goddess had claimed the country for herself, decorating it to her likeliness. She turned any rebels into statues and paraded them in the city squares, reminding the people of who was in charge now, and what was punishment for any kind of rebellion. It was the same all over the world, with different gods controlling different countries, torturing the citizens and destroying the cities. Humans were enlisted by their new "rulers", to fight for their cause, against the other gods. Balder's family waged their war throughout the world, casting a dark, stormy shadow over all of existence.

The last 21 years had been rewritten, a dark, horrid time, the darkest time the world has ever seen.

After this revelation, Joey instantly blames herself. She felt terribly guilty about bringing Balder back to life for her own sake. Will was quiet, still confused about had happened, but not at all keen about the world he had returned too.

The professor also revealed that Joey was sort of a legend; well, at the very least, many knew of the tale of a girl who had started the war by releasing Balder from his grave. There were also rumours of the prophecy, and many truly believed that the war of the gods will bring about the end of the world. Balder and Joey realized that the prophecy was coming true.

6) After hearing the terrible news, and after recovering from my anger, despair and shock, the trio asked the professor if there was any way to get out of the city. Joey wanted to her find her brother, 21 years or not. The Professor revealed that London was on lock-down, and that there was no way to get out of the city.

7) They stay the night with the Professor. That night, Joey and Will had a huge argument; Will blamed her for everything that had happened, angry that she had brought him back from the dead, only to bring this ill upon the entire world. Joey was distraught by his accusations. Drowning with guilt, she marched out of the house into the dark neighbourhood. Balder was already fast asleep in his room.

Outside, Joey found an alley and sobbed silently to herself. Mary found her and comforted her. Mary then told her of a way to get out of London; hidden at the old, abandoned docks of London was a ship, an old ship, as dark as the shadows. The government didn't know of the ship. It was said that the ship could help people get out of London. The person in charge of the ship was a mythical figure called, "The Captain". Mary then told her that the "The Captain", however, had been arrested, and was now in the King's castle.

8) Joey went back to the Professor's place, and told Balder and Will what had happened. Together with the professor and Mary, they planned a way to get into the castle, free "The Captain" and get onto his ship.

9) A few days later, they commenced the plan. Joey and Will went into the castle, met the King, pretended to be rulers of distant lands, got caught, got arrested, got sent into the dungeons, got saved by Balder…and then found "The Captain" in a neighbouring dungeon.

Only it wasn't a man.

It was a young women, barely older then Joey. She was tall, big-boned, with bright red hair and dark green eyes. She was very feisty and very loud-mouthed, stubbornly fighting her way out the moment they freed her. Will and her began arguing almost immediately as the group escaped from the prison.

10) "The Captain" brought them to the old ship at the docks. When they saw it, Joey and Will immediately recognised it as The Black Pearl. They confronted "The Captain", and the charming young girl revealed that the ship had been a gift from an old friend. That could only have meant Jack.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
